


Shadow

by HackdrawerMcHugglesWorthRivertonThe3rd



Category: One Piece
Genre: Inspired by Little Mermaid, Kiss The Boy, M/M, Merman sex, Not A Horror, Romance, merman, merman/human sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:41:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 140,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24515563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HackdrawerMcHugglesWorthRivertonThe3rd/pseuds/HackdrawerMcHugglesWorthRivertonThe3rd
Summary: A merman finds a human that abandoned his sinking ship - his caretaker had always warned him to kill a human before they could kill them, but this one...well, this one is interesting.
Relationships: Trafalgar D. Water Law/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 74
Kudos: 160





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: its been difficult being creative at this time. everything rises and dies every time i write, but i keep attempting. this is one of them. fortunately, this feels right. ;) this story is set in times where tech doesnt exist and men talk of mermaids that will drown a man at sea when tempted.**

**A/N2: not like 'black water', where the merfolk are scary fishes**

**'shadow' by birdy - it fits this love story**

**Shadow:** **1**

* * *

The ocean, as grand, deep and mysterious as it was, was the world he lived in. The waters he was born in was a stormy cold environment, where the surface crashed with pounding waves and sunk many adventurous or desperate ships. The world was dark and dingy, but the colony was welcoming and the sea people friendly with the other creatures that swam there. The temperature didn't fluctuate much, and the cold was all he knew. But that area began to change as he aged – he found himself driven from his home waters as a child, traumatized by the aftermath, and through a series of events, found himself in the cradle hold of an older merman that treated him well. They moved from those cold waters and into a warmer environment, to waters that were bright and colorful, where the surface wasn't as violent and the ships crisscrossed overhead with heavier traffic – it was a stark change that made him moody.

The other thing that hadn't changed was the seemingly endless warning to stay away from humans. They were air breathing "jellyfish", he was told by his new guardian.

"Without a brain, it can only protect itself this way," Corazon told him, nursing such a sting that blazed red and violent within the dingy light of the water. Law fluttered around him with a look of distaste, feeling helpless and yet exasperated that this grown merman was so prone to underwater accidents. Law's childish face revealed his scorn for the brilliantly colored merman whose tail was a brilliant, oily coloring similar to tar, but whose tattered pink fins and glowing skin revealed scars from all his accidents. Because of Corazon's coloring, it made sense to Law that Corazon didn't originally belong to the brilliantly warm waters of their environment – he'd come from dark waters, like Law.

"It can't determine who is enemy or friend. Humans are the same in that regard – stinging for no reason other than having the power to do so."

Law watched him skeptically, gills fluttering with an impatient exhale of his own as the older merman's face squished into a near sob as he clutched his spotted arm with the webbed fingers of his free hand. But Law then looked up towards the surface of the sea, blue-black hair fluttering with the moving current they were riding with. His curiosity towards humans were like a hot blast of air – something that felt uncomfortable and dangerous at the same time. Every time he emerged from sea to air, his gills would slacken and slow, and it felt like someone had placed their dry, hot hand over them. Comparable to a slow strangle from a piece of kelp that tightened around him in a cognizant gesture.

Unconsciously, his own webbed fingers lightly touched his gills as seagulls fluttered overhead. The sound of their noises touched his thoughts as Corazon continued to lightly complain about the jellyfish sting around his scarred arm. The man with sunbleached hair swirled away from Law, and Law followed after him, his own dark tail fins fluttering as the ocean's current drew them through crowds of fish, turtles and the occasional human trash that rode along with it. Every creature they passed brought his awed attention to them – the creatures here were so vivid and bright, unlike the gloomy ones in his home seas that fluttered against the shadows and veered away from sight the moment he appeared.

Giving an uncertain look at the dark depths of the ocean floor beneath them, Law maneuvered around a group of sea turtles – their arms waving to glide gracefully with the same actions to avoid him – and caught up to the merman that was still clutching his stinging forearm. Corazon's tail flapped clumsily, sea animals hastily avoiding the glaring strings of a fisherman's line trailing after him – the hook still attached to a worn, tattered fin.

"How are humans like jellyfish?" Law pressed curiously, light eyes narrowing with suspicion. "They have stinging tentacles, too?"

"No, I mean….they attack everything around them, whether they're afraid of it or not," Corazon answered, daring a glance at him. Tuna scurried out of his path, darting out and away from the moving current just to avoid collision. An unfortunate jellyfish fluttered and caught at his shoulders, and Corazon shrilled in alarm, jerking out from the current and fluttering madly to release the sea creature from him. It fluttered off with a seemingly indignant huff, leaving behind tattered tentacles that the merman struggled with. Law watched the creature leave, drifting aimlessly through the warm waters, and shook his head again.

The waters above began to reverberate ever so slightly with a disruption that drew his attention from Corazon. The ship that sluiced through the surface began to slowly block out the sunlight that made the water glitter. Corazon paused in mid-swipe, looking up with suspicion as Law's mouth dropped open ever so slightly. Though it was just the underbelly of the ship that blocked out the sun and briefly dropped them into darkness, it was massive, heavy, and caused the area around them to feel heavy and ominous.

"If they should ever see you," Corazon muttered, reaching out to snatch Law's arm and drag him safely away from the vibrating current caused by the ship's movement, "it'll be your undoing. Your end."

The sun reappeared as brightly as ever once the ship passed, but Law watched it continue to slice through the surface like a massive creature. He wondered about the air-breathing creatures that made things called "ships" – he had glimpsed these beings from underwater as blurry things making obnoxious noises, but had never had the courage to actually _look_ at them. His curiosity burned at him. His gills fluttered with a settling inhale that expanded his tanned skin, which was splotchy with shades of grey and white – common colors from his home waters, allowing him to blend in with his murky surroundings. Out here, in the vivid brilliance, he stood out like a glaring mistake.

'You're not a mistake!' Corazon often scolded him before enfolding him in a crushing hug that Law struggled to escape. 'Never refer to yourself as that – you're a gift, a precious treasure from the North!'

 _A mistake_ , Law often thought with acute conviction. As young as he was, he was well aware of his differences and the reasons he was found.

"Why?" Law asked Corazon with a cross expression, the surface fluttering with the ship's movement. Seagulls flocked after it, crying noisily. "What will they do?"

Corazon blinked at him, skin blazing with the jellyfish's poison. He swiped at it with his webbed hands, wearing a look of concern. After a few moments, he reached out to cradle Law's face, fingers holding strongly while Law shook his head to try to dislodge the firm grip.

"Because we are beautiful, and they are not," Corazon said in a tone that boded no argument. His expression was quite venomous for the moment, causing Law to still with uncertainty. The merman then fluttered away, gesturing at him to follow.

Law looked at his white splotchy arms, his tanned skin skimming with an obvious glare against the warm waters that surrounded them. He looked at the grey webbing between his tanned fingers, then at his spotted, dark tail that kept him upright. _Of course we're beautiful_ , he thought with a frown. _What is that supposed to mean_?

 _Are humans ugly_? He wondered, looking to the surface once more.

: :

Years later, the overhead spread of the stars on a night canvas drew Law's eyes first before they dropped and fell to the ship blooming with light and noise ahead of him. The sea was a calm blanket of motion that cradled the ship atop of its surface waters, the anchor pulling at the sea floor as it rested. It wasn't Law's first time seeing a human, but it was one of those rare moments where he could venture as close as possible to take in the sights. He didn't know the human language, so the chaos atop of the ship wasn't that unusual, but the voices made his face scrunch with disgust. He was able to hear noises underwater from great distances, but when he broke surface his senses seemed to blur and fade; images were staggered and limited, every object opaque and nonsensical. But shapes and colors built into things he had no explanation for, and thus he created their reasoning out of his own imagination. Bubbles from a slow exhale built around his lips, but he dunked his head under the surface to take a breath and re-emerge to resume looking.

His golden eyes blinked as water slurried over his hair and slithered in trails around his tanned and white splotched face. His thin eyebrows pulled down as he glared up at visible humans doing… _something_ …always doing something. He was frustrated that he didn't know what. The night was extra bright, today, and people were falling from the ship. It felt chaotic. Much like how a school of fish were interrupted by a slithering predator – scatter, regroup. Scatter, regroup. The orange-yellow lights emerging from the top of the ship made the open air dry and hot, searing the air like a slap. He ducked his head and re-emerged again, that curious warmth stinging his blinking eyes as he poked his head out.

 _What's happening_? He wondered with some bewilderment as humans fell from the ship and made contact with the water without any attempt to swim. Law was still far enough away to remain hidden from their eyes, and he watched the surface turn violent with their flailing arms, their noises erupting as shrill and somewhat panicked screams. If only he could see their expressions to _understand_ , but they were just blurry, distorted shapes of color. There was something in the air that made Law think this wasn't normal. There was something about that bright, moving light that consumed the round windows, raised levels and remaining towers of material that sputtered with brilliant colored movement that seemed wrong. He had never seen fire, before. He didn't know what it was, or why it caused the air-breathers to scream in such a way. He watched with frozen curiosity as a group of them fell over the back rails, hitting the water with a collective splash. They were covered in the light, screaming so shrilly and with such agony that Law ducked back underwater, swimming deep enough to turn and look up at the sight. The dark shape of the ship was brilliantly outlined by that moving bright light that seemed to consume the ship faster than he could separate shapes.

The noise was muffled down here, and bodies were sinking towards the darkest depths below him. Law waited because it was instilled in him to avoid detection, but their limp limbs and their frozen features on dirty faces told him he had nothing to fear. Some of them made pathetic attempts to claw to the surface but they continue to sink – as if something invisible was slowly pulling them down. Their bodies gave spastic jerks, bubbles billowed out from opened mouths; some yanked fitfully at themselves – as if trying to claw the drowning weight of water from their lungs. Parts of the ship began to hit the water with heavy weight – smoldering and creating curiously thick clouds of disruption to the depths that hid the sinking of still bodies. Law looked up once more, tail flicking as the light burned bright enough to illuminate and hide the night sky. All he could see was yellow light, falling pieces and humans that couldn't swim.

He drew away once again, putting distance between himself and that scene, pushing up from the water to take in the visuals with a bewildered look. Corazon had told him to avoid humans – who tried to steal their 'beauty' – and it was ingrained within him that humans were never to see them. But Corazon never thought to warn him of a situation like this one – Law missed having the older merman at his side to tell him what was happening.

Something from the left caught his eye as the ship began to crumble into the water, a hissing sound rising up like a massive sea creature. Law squinted to see what it was that caught his attention, and was startled to see a lone swimmer – it was unusual to see a human swim. Law perked up, straining to see a tail. But it was definitely human, and he was so startled to understand that humans could swim that he ventured over for a closer look. The ship continued to hiss and crumble, sinking into the sea like a disgruntled sea creature, causing the water to bubble and smoke. He paused to look at that, neck tightening as the feeling of suffocation slowly started to creep over him. Seeing humans visibly cry out, floundering over the churning sea and disappearing as the ship continued to sink, Law wanted to watch further. But he turned his head to search for the swimmer and caught sight of the blurry shape in the distance.

Fire continued to consume every dry part of the ship exposed to the night, and human screams continued to shrill out over the calm, sea water. Law glanced back, looking for other swimmers before finally ducking his head underneath the surface and swept effortlessly through the darkness as his eyes adjusted. He spotted the flurry of activity caused by the swimmer – limbs moving clumsily through the water, torso thick and overly boxy that prevented full submersion, which caused him to scoff – and coasted in underneath to view the air breather from below. The sight of legs caused Law some awe – looking at his heavy tail with consideration, he tried to imagine that feel of something separate and independent from him. He fluttered his tail fin, the dark colors barely visible within the warming darkness of the water around him. He blinked upward at the swimmer, drifting lightly along with their movements.

 _Human_ , he thought wondrously, wandering up close to watch arms and legs sluice through the water with seemingly clumsy movement. He reached out with one webbed hand to drag his fingertips over one of those moving legs, and darted backward when a furious scream rang out overhead. He watched with surprise as those legs shifted from horizontal to vertical, kicking frantically downwards. Human words rang out, and Law's ears rang – he wasn't sure why, but he had the feeling he'd been scolded. He wore an irritated expression as he gave enough room for the human to flail aggressively before moving on in a frantic swimming motion once again.

Law drifted after him, the impulse to reach out driving him to do so. His fingertips drifted over the human's odd looking leg ends – so pale and what were these smaller, more individual limbs? – and earned more screams and frantic kicks. Law darted away with an indignant huff, the human flailing in the water before dunking head downward towards him. Law realized too late what was happening, freezing in place as the human looked at him.

Law watched with awestruck horror as the human's face – twisted with a glare and chaotically colored, much like his own skin; with smaller eyes, a nose and mouth like his own – broke through the darkness of the waters. It seemed it couldn't dunk more than its head, torso held in an absurdly stiff movement. Law waited for a reaction, waited for the human to try and steal his 'beauty'; he tensed, tail ready to lash out if he had to fight, his fingers curling into claws. He emitted a warning hum that vibrated the water – his fins puffed outward and tail lashed, causing the water to churn; making himself a bigger and more ominous creature than before; his show caused the human to frantically return head to surface, swimming more chaotically than before. Law waited there, all his fins returning to rest against his scales, a little bewildered by the reaction. He reviewed the moment, carefully examining the human's expression. Law was positive that he wasn't seen; despite the human facing him, the human couldn't _see_ him.

He followed after the human, noting the heaviness of strokes and kicks. Each one was moving slower than before, and the human had to turn onto his back, resting. This allowed Law another investigative move upward, bewildered at the sight of the human's weirdly moving skin. It was tattered – like Corazon's scales – and nothing on it gleamed like they did. It was a dull color, dark, and yet flashes of pale white crept through to disrupt the entirety of the skin. He reached out to touch a patch, wondering if the human had the same skin condition as him.

Once again, the human reacted with shrill noises and kicks in Law's direction, and Law uttered the warning once more – it was a sound that merfolk emitted in warning, something they did before they could strike defensively. Usually his was successful enough to drive away sharks and other aggressive merfolk, but the human gave no such satisfactory reaction. Lazily, he drifted after the human, marveling over the differences between them. The ocean was so still and quiet that the waters moved slightly and the night sky began to slowly switch canvases. He swept up to the surface once more, peering back at the fiery mess of a burning ship. It continued to burn brilliantly, thick, dark smoke billowing up to the gradient sky like a complaining tunnel of rumbling sound and equally quiet crackling. Sinking back down into the quieter depths, Law followed the human.

'They'll destroy you for being you,' Corazon had warned him as Law grew older. 'We're different from them, and humans fear what is different from them.'

'And us….?' Law had questioned. 'What do we think of them?'

At this, Corazon's face had shifted. His features were hard and stern, allowing no empathy for creatures that could not survive in their world. 'We drown them before they can kill us.'

 _They're so stupid and clumsy_ , Law thought now, watching the human's legs move slower. The human seemed to be floundering, resting more with his head turned away from the gentle sway of the sea. It's limbs reached out and spread from his body, floating with the surface rather than fighting it. Law wondered about their dangers, these weighty things Corazon had warned him to fear. Humans were so clumsy in the water, fighting to stay afloat with limbs without fins – drowning while alit with bright, yellow and orange light. _How could they be dangerous?_

Corazon was no longer at Law's side – Law didn't want to think about that, but an image bloomed before his eyes before he could stop it. Half of a merman floating in the water, innards being nibbled upon by fish they'd called friends. The water was colored with floating blue and soft white pieces of a merfolk that had often held Law in a safe, secure hold; those arms were missing, arms ragged and exposed at the left shoulder and right biceps. The broken bones resembled dead pieces of coral.

 _Where was his tail?_ Law had often wondered, awakening with his own horrified cries ringing in his mind. _Where was his tail?_

The human was looking up at the lightening sky, where stars were growing dimmer and the colors behind them changed gently. Law kept his distance, poking only half of his head from the surface, gills fluttering with careful movement. The human gazed towards the visible tower of smoke in the distance – in the open air, Law could smell nothing. He could only do so underwater, capturing warning and distress scents from other animals – blood from a leaking kill. But his senses captured foreign heat and a stinging sensation that made his gills itch, the heat unfamiliar to his exposed skin. The human didn't see him, and Law's vision was too blurry to understand what exactly he was seeing. His double eyelids blinked against sluicing water, and he waited.

 _I'll drown it once he sees me_ , Law vowed, narrowing his eyes before submersing himself back under. He looked up at the shape of the human that floated on his back, the sight of a morning sky softly brightening beyond him. Away from danger, sea creatures were meandering in the depths below them both. A school of fish swept by them, and a turtle lazily made it way up to the surface for air. Law maneuvered easily on his back, aligned with the human. Law could hear the far off sounds of the broken ship settling and scraping against the sea bed – the current tugging heavier pieces in separate directions. He could hear the song of a whale and her calf meandering somewhere in the distance, the sound of their heavy bodies slicing through the water with gentle grace. He felt the rumble in his stomach, alerting him to hunger. He decided to hunt while the human stared up at a brightening sky.

: :

When he found the human, it was near afternoon. The sun flickered brightly from the blue sky, the gentle rolling of waves causing the human fruitless effort to evade being hit. Law chewed on half of a fish he'd snapped in half, the other half currently in the fighting mouths of a penguin and a killer whale. Their underwater commotion caused the surface to break and the human to sluggishly react by sweeping back into vertical position. Noticing this, both creatures hastily dropped their depths, the penguin sweeping over to grasp onto the killer whale's dorsal fin while the mammal attempted to hide behind Law. The human ducked his head under the surface, notably red – maybe that was natural – and scanned the depths for the cause of the disturbance.

"He can't see us," Law assured his friends, calming hand up as the human returned to slow swimming.

"We are right in front of him," Penguin chattered, darting through the water in furious circles. "And _that_ fat sea slug is hard to miss!"

"This fat," Shachi argued, pushing through the water after Penguin, snapping bright white teeth at the penguin's feet, "keeps me warm in the cold!"

'Both of you are fat," Law assured them both, following after the human and spitting out the cleaned bones of the fish he'd ate. Both animals mumbled things he didn't hear, wondering just how long this clumsy air breather would last. It seemed silly for the struggle, considering the length of the distance it was attempting. Land mass was hard to find in this area – which was why Corazon had chose it.

That blurred image hit Law's thoughts once more, and he swept his head from side to side.

'Humans! The humans did it!' The merfolk cried of Corazon's death. They were angry, furious, venting their helplessness with words and expressions. Scaring the sea creatures with their combined vibrations and hisses, scattering fish and causing sharks to reconsider preying upon them. Some had claimed to have successfully pulled humans down from fishing ships as revenge, but Law was gone by then. He heard of this from the mouths of his friends, who only visited within certain times of the year. It was good to have them back.

"I'm still hungry," Shachi complained, shooting up to the surface with his large bulk. He broke the water with a blow, causing the human to whirl and stare. Law watched as he waved his arms and shouted, attempting to scare the killer whale away. Shachi veered in that direction while submerging himself, tail fluke slapping the waves with a crack of sound that changed as he dove. "I heard they taste just like sharks. Tasty. Stringy. Not enough but just enough."

"Leave me a leg, jerk!" Penguin snapped, shooting through the water before Law and launching at the killer whale as that mammal began moving after the human. Law watched, considering their method before hurrying after them and cutting in front of the orca.

"No," he ordered, looking up and over his shoulder at the humans slow movements. His blue black hair fluttered around his face, caught in the warm weight of the water. Everything about the human fascinated him, built questions he needed answers to. _What was that light? Can't all humans swim…? Did you kill Cora…?_

"This is my first human," he murmured, gills flicking near his ears and at his neck. The black and white spotted first dorsal fin between his shoulder blades strengthened to strand out, black spikes shooting up and out like a fan as his second dorsal fins straightened with weaker action. The fluttery white anal and vertical fins along his tail wiggled and fluttered like a cape as his webbed hands curled into fists.

"So, _you'll_ kill him?" Penguin asked skeptically, head tilting from side to side. "Can we still eat him?"

"You guys have the same upper halves, is that against some kind of nature?" Shachi asked curiously, head tilted upward while his pectoral fins fluttered. "Never mind! I smell a whale! I can hear her!"

"She's with calf, stupid, leave it."

Penguin hit Shachi with a fin before giving a testy bite that caused the killer whale to dart away with a cry. "You know how he gets about those things and their young! You're so insensitive!"

'I am a _killer_ whale, I _kill_ meat! They are meat!" Shachi protested with a huff. "Orca! Orca!"

"Stupid, you keep yelling like that, you'll gonna attract sh -!"

"Seals?"

" _Where_?"

Law ignored Shachi's laughter and Penguin's curses at the trickery. Both orca and penguin zipped about, taking turns chasing each other and causing the merman to pull out of their path as the killer whales momentum tugged at the water. The human was once again on its back, staring at the sky. Law watched warily, venturing closely for a look at its feet. He'd never seen a human this close – from the tatters of oddly moving skin that seemed detached from its body, he saw flecks of coarse gold.

 _Hair_? He wondered, carefully cupping space around one foot to investigate closer. _And nails_ , he realized, examining the curvature of nail at the top of each toe. _So they can adapt to temperature like us in any environment_? _This is common of land animals? Or is it feathers_?

Penguin nipped at the limb, and the human squawked noisily, Law fluttering away to avoid detection. The penguin swept around Law with a giggle.

"Those are called 'feet'," Penguin told him, lazily circling him. He kicked his own clawed feet. "Normally they wear things called shoes, but this one doesn't have any."

"Feet," Law repeated on a mystified tone. The human had stopped fighting, clearly exhausted.

"And they got legs," Penguin continued, shooting up to break the surface. Law and Shachi watched him shrill warning noises at the human, who shouted back at him, splashing away from the noisy creature. Returning to his friend's side, Penguin added, "they use 'em to walk."

"Legs," Law repeated.

"But they're useless here. I've seen humans swim,but only in sight of land," Penguin added. "In groups. They can't go far. This one is done for, Law. Just yank the man under."

'Man?"

"They got males and females, too! Not sure if they lay 'em like eggs…I only see men steering the boats. Can't see how they'd babysit their eggs, anyway, with bodies like theirs."

"How do you know them so much?" Shachi asked suspiciously, clicking noisily as he twirled lazily below them, showing a soft white underbelly. "Are you friends with them, too?"

"Sometimes they throw delicious things off their boats, and we follow them. Out of all of us, I know humans best. And I say we eat him."

"You're useless."

"This is one human man," Law said slowly, venturing up close once more and reaching out to touch that oddly flapping skin. "Their skin is odd…"

"Clothes," Penguin stated. "Humans wear clothes."

"Clothes?" Law repeated, perplexed. "What are 'clothes'?"

"They wear this stuff because they are ugly," Penguin confirmed. "They have skin like yours, but cover it with clothes."

"Law kinda looks like them, so is he ugly, too?" Shachi asked smartly, causing Law to frown.

"No, he's clearly with tail. He's one of us," Penguin sputtered, darting about before shooting up to the surface for air and returning.

'…because we are beautiful,' Corazon had told a young Law.

Shachi turned suddenly, looking down below them. He used his larger body to suddenly shield them, crying out, "Incoming!"

Penguin took cover behind Law as the merman whirled, looking just in time to see the half shark, half man shove Shachi aside. His scars seemed to burn brilliantly in the sun-lit water, jagged red edges spilling over into red and coral tinged skin that merged into green-grey scales. But his eyes glittered with malice as they locked onto the human with consideration, black tipped tail moving from side to side.

"Playing with your food before feasting?" Kidd asked menacingly, pausing in mid-movement as Law placed himself between him and merman. He grinned with sharp-pointed teeth. "I hear fear tinged blood tastes better, so you have the right idea. But you should eat it before it eats you. We are everything they are not, and have what they want…they are hostile."

Law said firmly, tail lashing, "I found it first. I intend on sharing with my friends."

"Those guys?" Kidd looked at both penguin and orca before giving a scoff. He intended on moving forward, one black tipped hand reaching up before Law snared his thick wrist in one hand and delivered a powerful shock that caused the merman to squirm and hiss before putting distance between them. Kidd examined his wrist with a foul expression, rubbing tenderly on the wound by brushing it against his scarred chest. The half man, half shark was missing an arm, and he never divulged how or why. A loner, Kidd hung out in the depths like the predator he was, bullying others and aggressively shooing them from his territory- which he was never clear about.

He looked to Law with a scowl, swimming away from him while the three watched him warily. "Doesn't make sense to let it get away. Those things are trouble – where there's one, there's others looking for it. Get rid of it now, before you live to regret it."

Law watched him retreat back down into the depths, black tipped tail and black striped body merging slowly into the dark blue and emerald green shadows. He felt wary of the warning and the encounter – his instinct told him that Kidd was much too easy with his retreat. The merman was sure to follow, waiting for an opportunity, watching them from a safe distance. His speed and power could be relied upon to overtake both orca and Law with ease – Kidd wasn't done.

Law looked after the human once more, furrowing his brow. _There are others_ , he reasoned. But could they find one man in this entire swath of sea in time?

: :

The Orbit had caught fire because a clumsy 'cook'- Sanji used the word loosely now, as his sunburned face took in the sight of a blue sky that promised no incoming storms or upset – had attempted to put out a grease fire with water. The fire had ravaged the kitchens, and though staff had done their best to put it out, to contain the spread, the old and sometimes under-maintained voyage ship had no chance of survival. The chaos was still screaming in his mind. The life boats were jammed – desperate voyagers had attempted to cut them down, but the panic of a growing fire made people clumsy and scared. The cargo held drums of gunpowder and other flammables – things used to fight off Pirate ships should they be attacked. The water cannons they also used were spray guns against a terrible fiery force that made it difficult for men to hold and fight. They began jumping ship despite not being able to swim. People used the advantage to loot – fights sprang out. Panic consumed the mind because the ship was located in the middle of no where; and while distress calls were sent out, there were no responses. Not that Sanji knew of.

He jumped ship when he knew there was no other choice. The sinking Orbit had caused a sucking force that pulled in debris and people like a tornado, and Sanji swam because it was the only thing he could do. In waters infested with sharks, myths of mermaids and sirens, of undersea creatures yet to be firmly identified, he took a life jacket and a risk. Now, adrift at sea without any hope, Sanji wondered how long it would take to die. He was a stubborn man – he had made the choice to sail on the Orbit because it would take him to new and interesting places, and he could learn and cook new dishes he'd never dreamed of, meet people that he'd never see again…live an adventurous life rather than the sheltered one that promised riches but guaranteed an ugly soul.

Sea creatures he couldn't even see nipped at him – causing him panic and alarm because one of them could eventually be a curious shark. It'd be better if it were a siren – at least he'd die in the monstrous hands of a beautiful woman.

But in this space of time, he'd only seen a penguin (!) and a killer whale (!) – weren't those creatures more accustomed to colder seas? They chased after birthing whales, migrated from here to there, and though he hadn't seen them personally, the fact that they were here was something only he could describe. He might not be rescued. This bright, shining sea with an unmoving sky, with waves that were gentle but still strong enough to rock him, would probably be his grave. Would his family even care if he'd perished?

Sanji's skin was aflame with a sunburn that made its presence known with swelling around his nose, eyes and cheeks. He was thankful he'd eaten all the leftovers he could, but what good was it now, with no land in sight? He needed drinking water, and yet there were no clouds in the sky. Something snatched at his leg, and he kicked, cursing noisily at the investigative creature – he ducked his head, but his limited vision allowed him to see a thick, murky sea with turquoise and emerald brilliance, with foreboding shadows at his bare feet, with sea debris floating past him without destination. He saw a large shadow coursing beyond his vision, but it could be that orca – surely they were named 'killer whales' for eating whales, and not humans – or it could one of the many whales that chose this place to travel through with their new young. No sign of sharks yet.

The sea was too deep and dark for him to see anything, and he gasped for air, willing his body to relax against the surface to float. Salt water felt different when submerged long enough in it- it built like a crusty layer on his exposed skin, sucked away at him, pulled and threatened him just lying there. He couldn't even hear seagulls – true indication of nearby land.

He stared up at the sky, skin tingling with strange heaviness. He felt there were things at his back, watching him – waiting for him to die. The water churned with a strange current that dragged him ever so slightly, and the orca broke through the surface to emit a loud, ringing spurt of breath before ducking back below with a slap of its tail. Sanji pushed his legs down to watch the water that was disturbed slowly stop bubbling and foaming. He looked around himself anxiously, treading the water with his reddened hands and kicking feet. Weren't killer whales and sharks enemies? Maybe it was saving him for later.

The penguin returned to scream obnoxiously at him, floundering in the water like it was scolding him before disappearing. Or laughing…

Sanji started to swim, turning his head this way and that with each stroke. His limbs were starting to feel heavy and awkward, and he thought it best to preserve his strength, to allow the life jacket to do all the work. The day slowly began to shift once again, and though sounds in the distance made Sanji think the killer whale was still following him, night was a different matter. The fire from the sinking ship had given him enough light to feel brave, but it was different, now. Adrenaline couldn't help him, now.

He was thankful he'd taken the life jacket- it was giving him a break with struggling to float. Something that felt like a hand grabbed his ankle with a gentle tug, and it felt eerily like a hand. He felt fingers, he felt a palm – but it couldn't be. It had to be something else. He kicked angrily, lighting the air with curses. The hand released him, and Sanji ducked his head under awkwardly to look again. But his vision gave him nothing but an apprehensive darkness that just seemed like an ominous threat – there was a blurry shape drifting away from him, a shadowy form that moved through the water like it was another part of it, causing drifting kelp and debris to flutter in its wake. When the sun shifted ever so slightly, causing the water to sparkle at the angle, Sanji thought he saw a rather alarmingly large fish tail.

 _I know they get that big, but…hands_? He thought with bewilderment, pulling upward to brush his sea salted hair from his face. His sunburn was painful. His eyelids felt heavy and swollen, and his cheeks stung from both salt and burn. It had to be a trick of the eye, Sanji figured. The killer whale's sprout sprung up a distance ahead, water churning around it as it submerged itself without fully revealing itself. All Sanji saw was a black dorsal fin and fluke as it disappeared back into the depths. He gripped his life jacket with both hands, inhaling and exhaling slowly. He turned his attention to the horizon, using his feet and legs to stay steady. A warm breeze causing droplets from rising and dropping waves to blow into his face, but he didn't have the drive to wipe across the fire burning there. It let it sting and slap, closing his eyes as he fought to steady his nerves and mind against the building dark in the distance. The brightest stars were already beginning to blink up in that changing canvas of the sky, the sun sinking slowly into the far off horizon of the sea. The temperature began to drop – he should've been in the kitchen, cooking and yelling at the others, making up the Orbit's passengers dinner. There would be string music playing at full volume the dining area, the candles lit, electricity crackling in the narrow hallways. Various classes of passengers on different levels enjoying the same quality food.

He thought about the things he'd had to abandon in his cabin – clothes, personals, cigarettes-

He released his life jacket and patted at his pockets with desperation. His clothes – black slacks, white shirt with black vest and jacket – were tattered and torn from a couple of fights and desperate maneuvers through crumbling layers as the fiery ship sank. He'd kicked his shoes off at the last second, lost his socks while swimming – he didn't dare remove a layer, he'd need it later when he was rescued.

But he found what he was looking for- a plastic baggie with his lighter and some rolled cigarettes. He anxiously pulled one out with careful movements, trying not to get it wet. Once it was in his mouth, he lit it – the clacking sound of the opening lighter and the resulting flame was the only alien sound in this area. But he inhaled and exhaled with relief, carefully depositing his lighter into the bag and tucking that entire thing into his inside jacket pocket. He smoked the cigarette and watched the sky slowly pimple with shining stars. The waves calmed as the moon revealed itself as a sliver amidst the smear of pink and white that striped the sky.

The penguin squawked noisily in the distance, amidst churning water and the killer whale's blowing exhalation. Sanji fought the urge to look – weren't they natural enemies? Predator and prey?

It would be odd if they were waiting for him to die. He finished his cigarette, and flicked what was left out into the water. He made to turn onto his back when movement caught his eye, forcing him to still with heart-slamming terror. A hand with webbed fingers had retrieved his cigarette butt from the waves and pulled it under. Sanji was _sure_ what he saw – he saw fingers with filmy webbing, a splotchy white palm, and the very real sight of a wrist that revealed a bony joint. He couldn't move, his eyes wide with terror as he reviewed that memory with breath-stopping horror.

He swallowed tightly, looking into the distance. Moments later, the wet, crumbled butt hit his face with a surprising knock that jolted his sunburned skin and caused him momentary confusion. Did someone just throw it back at him…? But _what_? He retrieved the butt, looking at it with bewilderment – there were teeth marks on it, like someone - some _one_ , not somet _hing_ – had taken a bite of it. He stared in that direction for some time before clumsily pocketing his trash into his trouser pockets. In the quiet stillness of the falling night, he gazed at the water surrounding him, looking for someone to pop out and announce their prank.

: :

In the softly glowing light of the next morning, Sanji woke up realizing he was barely encased in his life jacket. In a slight panic, he hastily righted himself and readjusted his life jacket, pulling the ties tight. He glanced around himself, looking for something new or different but all he saw were the lines of the matching colors of sky and sea, with wisps of soft white that bloomed to streaks of foreshadowing in the distance. He squinted, sure they were promising a storm. He swallowed hard, thirsty for rain. Everything felt so dry; despite floating in the middle of a warm, green and blue colored sea, he was dry from the inside out. His tongue felt swollen. He gripped the shoulder pads of his life jacket and stared down at his sunburned reflection in the water.

The waves felt different, today. They felt stronger – jostling him with each crash, pushing him from this way and that. He shifted about, yanking his jacket off and then pulling it over his head, creating a makeshift tent as an attempt to protect from the sun. It would still reflect off the water, still color and burn his skin, but it helped. The urge to smoke was great but with how thirsty he was, it wouldn't help. He'd reward himself with one after he had a taste of rain.

Sanji exhaled heavily, closing his eyes as he tilted his head back, chin and red cheeks pushed up by the cold, wet material of his life jacket. He let the water cradle him as the bright fire of the Orbit created chaos against the backs of his eyelids. He let the moving water recreate the chaotic sounds of that night, let it think he was thinking human voices of his past speak to him. His mother's laugh, his brothers' harmful words, his father's heartless carelessness, and his sister's quiet passive-aggression. So lost in the memory, the sound of a hard blow of water barely registered until the unwelcome splash of moving water hit him, jolting him from his hazy reflections. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the calculating eye of an orca, but he saw something weirder than that staring at him from the surface of the moving waves.

A half-submerged head, with impossibly blue-black hair that fit the color of the shadows of a coral reef. With tanned skin, splotchy with white shadows and seemingly glowing amber eyes that blinked double eyelids as water sluiced down a man's face. No, not a man – men did not have oily white and black fins with black spines that laid flat against regal cheeks where the ears and lobes should be, nor the obvious operculum covering the presence of amber gills that stretched up the length of a neck with an obvious Adam's Apple.

Sanji's eyes widened as his breath stopped – should he believe his eyes? Or was he hallucinating shit out of his own dismal despair? Those amber eyes kept contact with him before that head skunk back underneath the water, leaving him absolutely breathless. He should breathe. He inhaled harshly, shifting about to look into the water around him. He felt his own toes curl inward, suddenly afraid to make contact with something that could take them. His knees pulled up awkwardly as he fretted the loss of his limbs to a creature that nearly resembled a man.

 _Not a mermaid_ , he thought frantically, _because those were women. This was a man. A_ man _-man_.

Are they real? They weren't a myth?

Sanji shifted about, trying to distinguish shapes and shadows below his feet. The orca coasted by in a black shadow of white and grey, underbelly obvious while a penguin shot past it like a mini-rocket. But not that other thing – that man – the fish man. Was that the thing he saw yesterday? Sanji frantically treaded the water, trying not to breathe in a panicked fashion, but mermaids were known – well, it was rumored - that they killed men by pulling them to their deaths. Would he be killed in this way? Drowned to be eaten? Or eaten alive, like sharks on a kill?

He gripped his life jacket with both hands, unsure what to do. Unsure what to think. He swallowed tightly, blinking dry, rough eyes as he kept them focused on the water below.

Awkwardly he blurted out, " _Hello_?"

 _Maybe they don't speak shit the way we do_ , he then thought with building breathlessness, churning in a slow circle to stare down into the depths. _Maybe they make crazy creature sounds_ …

"Are you there?" he called out, fingers curled tight around the shoulder straps of his life jacket. "If you are, could you please not eat me yet? Can you wait? I'd rather not die in torture and terror, or, I'd rather not die at all, but…please don't eat me alive, that's all I'm asking…."

His bit his painfully red lips before the pain reminded him that he shouldn't. His legs lowered, and he kicked lightly to keep himself steadily afloat. His neck prickled, and he turned wildly just in time to see the water bubble, churning with movement. Sanji held his breath, turning in a circle, pulling his jacket from his head to tuck around his shoulders.

 _I'm being hunted_ , he realized, eyes wide with disbelief. For several moments he floated, listening to the sound of the water, feeling the soft breeze cross over his face. His hair, in tangles, scratched against his red-swollen cheeks and forehead. Scannign the empty horizon of a water world that promised him no aid, Sanji exhaled with finality. It took a few moments to compose himself before he loosened the ties of his life jacket, propping his jacket atop of that.

"To hell with this waiting bullshit," he muttered, a touch too fanatically as his weight dipped him before the meandering waves that promised weight later on in the day. "If you want to kill me, do it now! Before I catch you and eat you raw!"

His angry bellow echoed off the sea, and Sanji dove under to look for the sea creature that stalked him. He came face to face with a penguin that was billowing bubbles, lazily turning circles around him before it realized Sanji was looking at him. It then darted off like a shot, taking cover behind the massive water animal that Sanji could see nearby. The killer whale churned the water as it turned sideways to look at Sanji, suddenly realizing the human could see him, too. The creature made a sharp turn and pushed into the depths, leaving the penguin behind.

 _It's actually a coward_? Sanji thought to himself with shocked dismay, sure both creatures had been scared at the sight of him. Cheeks billowed with his breath held, Sanji turned a slow circle underwater to look for that thing before he retreated back to the surface, holding onto his jacket and life jacket with clutching fingers. He took another deep breath and pushed under –

This time face to face with that creature he was looking for. He was so startled at its close presence and silent movement that he exhaled with a shout underwater, and pushed back up to the surface, heart pounding.

 _It's a_ man, his mind screamed with bewilderment, clutching his lifejacket by throwing an arm over it and frantically wiping salt from his stinging face. _It's a man_!

He felt a hand grab his vest, and he barely had time to suck in air before he was roughly pulled under, pulled down from the surface like an anchor had been wrapped around him. Sanji was so startled by the weight and force applied that he couldn't do nothing but watch the waves cradle his left behind items there atop of the surface. The sky was such a dull blue from down here, and the pressure began to close in on him immediately. But the creature held him within one fist, pushing him down with a curled fist in his vest, wearing such a grim expression – Sanji wished he could see details clearly. Within the water, his vision was so damn blurry, but his scared expression turned angry, and he automatically swung his leg to kick the thing out of the water.

He was at a disadvantage – his sluggishly moving leg barely bumped the thing's arm, and that grim expression turned amused, movement paused. Sanji kicked at him with his heel, aiming for its arm, its weirdly muscled chest – were mermen allowed such design? He paused, a little mystified at the amount of muscle in arms and torso as the merman watched him with growing amusement. This thing had the appearance of a man above the striking visuals of a long fish tail – _so many fins_! – and except for the present gills and obvious indications that this thing preferred water, it was definitely a male mermaid. Man. Merman.

 _Mermaids have_ boobs, Sanji reasoned with himself, kicking free to turn himself vertical. _Don't get distracted_!

He felt his lungs cry, and glanced at the surface, determining a safe path away from the merman. It watched him with a face that slowly lost its amusement before moving towards him, hand reaching out to him. Sanji lunged forward to bite those outstretched fingers before kicking away, the creature pulling its hand back with a shocked look. Sanji was nearing the surface, kicking and pulling with frantic intensity as the need to breathe started to rattle his mind when he felt strong fingers wrapping around one of his ankles and he was yanked back. He whirled around to kick at the thing when he noticed something shooting upward from the depths towards him – another creature, something bigger than this one (!) and basically the same makeup. Only this one wasn't of a fish design, it was more of a shark.

Since it looked more of a threat than this one – he was always taught to hit the bigger one first – he used the downward momentum to flip and twist his whole body down while allowing the fishman to hold his leg, and used his heel to kick in the face of the shark-thing. He felt the connection, but the force of the thing's drive upward sent a racketing explosion of pain up his leg. He had no real strength in the water; just used his foot to stop and slow the momentum of the attacking thing.

The shark creature reacted with a wild whirl away, his single arm curling around his scarred face – it had such vivid red hair! – while black ink colored the water. The first fish man released Sanji with a startled look to react, and Sanji noticed its surprised and then vehement expression towards the second. Before Sanji could do anything, it attacked the sharkman with a rather surprising and powerful fist to the head. The sharkman reeled once again, releasing a horrendous noise that could have been a curse or a shout; but it was a rattling and unnerving vibration noise that was near similar to an elephant trumpeting underwater. Sanji clamped his hands over his ears and kicked upwards towards the sight of his lifejacket. Once he broke the surface, he inhaled desperately, trying to ignore the urge to climb upon the flimsy thing like it were a raft.

"There's – _there's two_ – there's _two_ of them!" he wheezed in panicked shock, alternating between coughing and hacking, fighting for air. " _Two_ of _them_!"

After a moment, he caught his breath and dove back under, to see the sharkman attacking the first. Sanji pulled out into open air to wheeze again. "They're fighting over their dinner!" he snarled to himself, looking for a weapon. He really didn't have one. He looked at his fingernails with deciding action, then gave the sky a furious look. He rattled his fist at the sky. "I will not die screaming and crying! I will bleed anger and fury like no other man at sea – oh, for shit's sake, who the hell cares…?"

He dove back under, watching black ink cloud the water, watching as their powerful tails whipped and churned around them. The penguin and killer whale were in view, and Sanji was aghast at how they watched the scene rather nervously, keeping space away from it. But the penguin darted in like a shot and aligned itself with the shark, biting and beating at the shark-thing's striped dorsal fin with its clawed feet. The killer whale, after a few nervous turns, shot forward and used its bulk to drive head first into the shark, successfully knocking it away from its companion. Both animals then hastily made a get away, turning to watch from a safe distance away while the first fishman recovered with an angry face at the shark.

Sanji was in utter disbelief at what he was viewing, floating there with wide eyes and full cheeks. He had to see everything – if he had to die, he needed an interesting story to explain in heaven.

 _Two fishguys were fighting over me_ , he heard himself said furiously. _Not the type of death I desired, but it is what it is_.

His face reddened with shame, and he swam back to the surface. He fitted himself back into his life jacket, hastily tying his jacket sleeves around his neck, like a cape. Then he began to swim, stroking the waters with desperate arms and kicking frantically to put space between himself and them.

"Like hell I'd let two guys fight over me," he snarled above the water foam, choosing a random direction. "I don't mind being shitty fish food, but - !"

The killer whale suddenly broke surface, spewing from its blowhole before catching sight of Sanji. It veered in his direction, the penguin shooting out from the water moments later to get a full visual. Seeing that huge black and white orca veering towards him, Sanji froze. There was no way he'd be able to hurt an animal that size – not from his position. The orca ducked under him, then rose up hastily, bumping the human from the water. Sanji automatically found himself catching hold of the dorsal fin, the animal's wide form allowing him to pull his feet out of the water. Without slowing down, the killer whale plunged forward to allow Sanji to sit astride of him, wearing a dumb expression on his sunburned face.

 _He's saving me for later_! He thought with an undignified snarl. He threw himself off the orca, resuming swimming in another direction while the killer whale turned after him with a confused maneuver.

"I am not an easy snack!" Sanji huffed, swimming with renewed energy. "I am _no man's_ snack! I'm not no damn whale snack – not yet, not now!"

The penguin shot up in front of him, kicking and shrilling at him before diving back in. In another instant, as Sanji recovered from the splash, the penguin slammed into his side, pushing him towards the whale. The orca once again maneuvered to pick them both up, veering off in its original direction. Moments later, the shark thing popped up, black ink dribbling down from his nose and splattered around its face. Sanji and the penguin shrilled with fright and surprise as the one-armed sharkman lunged over the orca, slamming into both of them.

It didn't anticipate Sanji's life jacket, which made it difficult for the sharkman to swim down into the water with; Sanji used its confusion to reach up to dig his nails into the thing's face before wrapping his arms around the thing's gills along its neck and heavily muscled shoulders (Sanji couldn't imagine what these fish did down there to gain such defined thickness) to suffocate it. He grit his teeth as the sharkman floundered, eking strange noises of animalistic surprise before grabbing his lifejacket and ripping him away like he was nothing. Its strength was astonishing – but now all that damned muscle made sense.

Before Sanji could recoup, the first fishman slammed into the shark with snarls that almost sounded like spoken word. Both of them whirled and spun, decking each other with such heavy fists that Sanji floated to the way to the surface with a shocked expression. He could hear each hit land so heavily, so soundly that it made him cringe. The killer whale darted by, its momentum knocking both fighting fish aside to bite onto Sanji's life jacket and swim away with him.

He was strangled by the fit of the jacket, force preventing him from fighting as the orca carted away with him towards the surface. Before he could gasp for air, they were back in the water and speeding further from the scene. Sanji reached up to untie himself, begging for air as his lungs cried out for relief. But once he saw the sharkman darting after them, so impossibly fast, he gave up the effort and reached up, fingers scratching for some sort of grab on the slippery skin of the orca. The penguin intercept by slamming into the sharkman's head, bouncing off and whirling away while the sharkman snarled at it, whipping its striped tail around to charge after it.

Sanji managed to grab hold of the orca's left pectoral fin, squeezing his eyes shut as the pain in his lungs burned. The killer whale swirled once before making its way up to the surface, breaking with an impressive leap into the air, curling just so Sanji could gasp with relief, inhaling as much as possible before they fell back into the water. He held on tightly, feeling his fingers slid as the animal's skin made it difficult to firmly grasp. He used both hands, but he could feel himself loosing grip. Before he could lose his grasp, the first fishman grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the whale, swimming with suffocating speed alongside the beast. Sanji opened his eyes to see the sharkman finally slow and give up, seemingly heaving for breath.

He covered his mouth with both hands, air escaping as he coughed. The momentum was so strong, and his jacket was strangling him. The fishman noticed the sharkman's disappearance, Sanji yanking away from him to swim desperately for the surface. Once he broke through, he gasped mightily, choking and hacking, ripping at the jacket he'd tied himself around his neck. He used the floatation device around him to keep him afloat as he struggled to relax. Despite the adventure, his legs were shaking. Out of fear? Out of incredulousness? He wasn't sure.

The orca broke surface nearby, spewing water and air into the open space, slapping the water with its body on its descent down. The penguin followed moments later, chattering away so noisily that Sanji winced.

 _I'm someone's goddamn dinner_ , he thought morosely, staring up at the sky with a dismal expression. _Humans are a delicacy, it appears_.

It seemed that once he caught his breath, he was dragged under to face the fishman. He looked at the blurry image of the creature as it stared at him, blinking double lids. Then it took note of his life jacket that held him awkwardly to the surface, pinching at the material with a curious tilt of his head. Sanji kicked away, breathing air once he popped out from the water.

"We can't all float and swim like shitty tuna!" he bellowed, his voice ringing out over the din. He gripped the jacket tightly with both hands, certain the thing would find its way to his torso insides if he let it.

The being followed him, popping its head out like some regal alien – Sanji was amazed to see it up close, able to take in the individual details. Its gills laid flat over its neck and broad shoulders like some lacy coverlet. But its hair was now matted like his now that it was free from the sea waters, and it drizzled over tanned, white splotchy skin like tangled kelp. Its eyes were brightly amber, the irises narrowed to a slit – the facial structure was amazing. Despite Sanji's earlier feelings of disgust, he couldn't help but stare back with some awe.

 _If this man walked in a crowded room_ , he thought, _I'd never be noticed. All the ladies would fall to his feet. Probably some guys, too._

After some moments, he admitted, _Probably me, included_.

He jerked his head back with a horrified yell, the creature pulling back from him with a very human expression of distaste before disappearing back under the water. Sanji could feel it circling him – no, not _it_. It was a man, therefore…a him. He gripped his lifejacket once more, muttering, "My last life moments were admiring a _guy_ …! The shame alone might kill me!"

He suffered a few moments of self-pity and remorse, the merman popping up once more to look at him inquisitively. Curiously, that penguin popped up behind it, using its beak to crowd in close and chatter noisily near the man's head – Sanji was in disbelief. The pair were communicating with each other, he realized.

 _I've read this story, before_ , he thought with an inward gasp. _Where the beautiful mermaid princess chatted with fish – this one is chatting with a damned killer whale and penguin! No one would ever believe me!_

The merman ( _with his gorgeously beautiful eyes_ , Sanji thought once more with amazement, helpless in that strong gaze) looked to Sanji's vest with another one of those curious looks. Sanji gripped it tightly, treading the water with trepidation.

 _I am a blushing maiden_ , he thought with horror, feeling his already sunburned face redden with force as he dropped his eyes to the water. He could see the impressive build of a rather manly torso there, colored with that same rich tan and white color. _In my last few moments of life, I am blushing over another man_.

He looked up at the sky with helplessness. "Please don't smite me for this…!"

Once he saw movement in his peripheral vision, he realized the man was reaching towards him. He set himself resolutely, already knowing his fate. _He's going to rip my guts out and eat them_ , Sanji thought with heavy reluctance, watching nimble fingers that could probably crush his skull with a squeeze, considering how easy the merman could maneuver underwater. _And I'd still think he's pretty_.

Instead, cool, seemingly dainty fingers touched his face. He could see the pale gossamer webbing between each finger collapsing against a pale palm; like a jellyfish beached on the sand. It glimmered gently, wet and seemingly slimy. But the simple touch against his sunburn made him hiss. The man looked at him with curious concern before braving an incredulous gentle pinch at Sanji's nose.

" _OW_!" he couldn't help but exclaim, slapping the merman's hand away and covering his nose. "OW, that _hurts_!"

The penguin squawked noisily at the merman, then exhaled repeatedly – it was _laughing_ at Sanji. The merman looked perplexed before looking back at it, then back at Sanji before touching his own face with disbelief. Both of them disappeared, bubbles churning the water as Sanji fought the welling pain in his facial features caused by the pinch. He reacted with a jerk when he realized his left foot was being touched, and he pulled that knee up to his stomach, yelping, thinking he had to protect it.

Awkwardly, that foot was re-captured and lifted up the surface, where he watched his own foot ensnared in that merman's grasp break the water. The merman was looking at it then to him, seemingly with a dumbfounded look. The penguin was once again chirping incredulous noises, rolling around them with excited chatter while the merman looked perplexed. Sanji managed to shrug that couldn't be seen with his jacket and life jacket layering.

"I'm flexible," he muttered, sure that this was the problem. He felt the gentle but oppressive weight well up behind him, and heard the blow of air. He didn't have to turn to see that the killer whale was giving him support from behind, massive dorsal fin and broad back open above the water. All so the merman could examine him. The penguin was so loud – its noises rang off the water like an ear-piercing explosion. Chattering away in penguin noises that left the merman with an impressed expression.

Sanji finally realized what had caught the fishman's attention. His ankle was noticeably thicker than usual, and he realized it was probably when the sharkman had attacked him. For some strange reason, seeing it brought throbbing pain to his attention. He snatched his foot from the fishman's grasp, hissing as he held it within both of his hands, hobbled awkwardly in the water with the use of the orca at his back and the life jacket strangling him.

"Must've dislocated it or something," he mumbled, unsure of why he was explaining to a fishman his problems. Not like any of them could understand him. The penguin chatted away, the merman disappearing underwater for a few moments before breaking surface once more. "I'm easier to catch, now. I'm lame. Not like I can stop you guys from eating me, here. Shit."

The merman stared at him inquisitively for several moments, and Sanji had the distinct impression that it wanted to ask him something. But obviously they weren't of the same species to hold a conversation. The feeling was so intense that he dropped his foot, looking back at him with an anxious hold of his jaw. The merman indicated with one of his hands from mouth to throat, then gestured at him.

Sanji shook his head. "I don't know what you're asking. Stop trying to communicate with me with that…that… _stupid_ …noble, good looking face of yours. You…you cad. You…lady- no, _man_ killer. Killer of…helpless, stupid men that can't help but think you're pretty. Damn you. Serve you up with vegetables and a red – "

After taking a breath underwater, the merman continued to stare at him with inquisitive action. He then released some throaty, almost half croaks of sound that hit Sanji right in the stomach. He was utterly horrified at his body's reaction to just hearing some creature's voice.

 _I am going to hell_ , he thought resolutely. _I am going to hell for thinking these things of a man-beast. This is my final boot downstairs. I can't believe this_.

The penguin nodded before the fishman once more disappeared down into the water, disappearing into the depths without any movement to look back. The penguin looked at Sanji, beady eyes darting here and there while the sunburned man stared back at him in perplexed silence. The orca shifted and dove deep, fluke missing Sanji's head by inches as he righted himself. The penguin's head tilted this way and that before it suddenly tilted back, retching before spewing half chewed fish entrails in Sanji's direction. With his beak, he seemed to indicate that Sanji eat it.

Sanji stared at him in revolted silence before shaking his head. "No, thanks. I…I already…ate. A lot. I'm…I'm still full."

Seemingly understanding this, then penguin nodded, gulped down its vomited meal, then disappeared into the water as well. Left in stunned silence, Sanji noticed that the sky was starting to darken with approaching nightfall.


	2. Chapter 2

**Shadow: 2**

* * *

'Humans have always been our mortal endings,' Corazon had told Law once before, when the youngling was moping in a narrow crevice, far from the older merman's reach. He was tired of swimming, tired of being lectured, tired of trying new foods that upset his stomach and made him miss _home_. Every day's journey took him further from the cold waters, further from the decomposition of bodies he knew. What felt right at that moment was a cold, narrow place that muffled the bright new world they were closely lost in. But what Law didn't know at that moment was the depth of Corazon's affection and patience. He'd realize it later – too late.

Corazon realized his arm was stuck at the elbow when he tried for another angle, Law's tail lashing as he stubbornly watched the merman _try_. He was starting to feel guilty about his tantrum, but Corazon continued to speak as if his arm wasn't caught between two narrow rocky edges. Fish fluttered by, some pausing to watch with interest. 'It's always been the same thing – they would prefer our tails on the stick, rather than invest any time attempting any sort of communication. It's best to keep our distance, rather than forage for any type of understanding – humans sting like jellyfish, Law. and the wound doesn't always heal – it just gets worse.'

Hearing his voice in his thoughts, Law knew that what he was doing was against Corazon's teachings. It was against everything ingrained in him – but this curiosity of his, this burning, weighty sensation that he'd always had, had him doubting himself. From what he'd seen, humans were not a threat to merfolk. They were so clumsy, so easily vulnerable -they can drown, they were easy food, their fragile skin turning color just because they breathed too much of the sea (Penguin's words.)

But he was curious. He always had a burning curiosity towards humans that Corazon feared. How was that human able to stop a charging sharkman with just his foot? And how was he able to move in such a way that Law found himself alarmed at the twisting maneuver the human had made while Law had held him firmly in his grasp? Penguin had mentioned that it wasn't normal – humans weren't supposed to move like that. Maybe there were exceptional humans that weren't part of the horror stories Law had grown up absorbing?

This space away from a human would give Law some second thoughts, to quell his curiosities. He was troubled, he had to admit, swimming in viewing distance of a sea floor that was too dark for humans to catch from above. Sand misted with each push of a foraging creature seeking food underneath, from the ever present current that slowly pushed debris along the sandy floor; deep sea creatures, accidentally losing their way from the darkest depths along the ridge nearby, bumped clumsily into those that were meandering the quiet, muffled space for adventure. The pressure was something Law could feel – a cold enclosure of a hand that he couldn't see. He could swim deeper – he had before – but this was a gentle reminder that this layer was only the beginning of a world that warned him of where he belonged. He couldn't see the sun from here – all it was was the weight of a blue-green world shadowed by deep emerald darkness that carried sound from various directions.

He could hear the sound of whales in a far distance – their chatter, their swimming movements; he could hear the echoing call of dolphins in a moving pod from the north; the whoosh of a current grazing against underwater cliff walls that rattled debris down onto the sandy floor; the click of an eel as it upset various homes in search of easy prey. The low murmur of merfolk that he couldn't yet see. He could smell blood from someone's kill, the trailing afterbirth of an emerging underwater being, and the presence of something foreign, something that didn't fit the water.

The ship wreck, most likely. With all of its destructive trash that would litter the sea floor, carried to various places by the current. The sound of wood scraping against rock, the flutter of something caught in its wreckage.

"What are you doing?" Shachi asked him curiously, chattering noisily as he nosed the motes floating about, looking for something tasty.

"What am I doing?" Law repeated, rubbing at his chin. "This situation is…conflicting. I should kill the human, but…if I should, then I wouldn't know all the answers that I require for a peace of mind..."

"Know _what_ answers? Just kill it! I mean, we went through all that trouble with Kidd, who is not going to forget what you did," Shachi reminded him. "Might as well as find out if it tastes like shark or whale."

"All this time, Cora told me that humans were dangerous. That they could kill us easily, but…how? They are so fragile and…stupid. Making…weird noises with their mouths, looking at us like we're…" Law gave up with a shrug, crossing his arms over his chest as he relaxed himself to allow the water pressure to carry him above the sea floor. He closed his eyes as Shachi gave him an impatient look. "What if this is my only chance to learn more about them…? Something that isn't just…chatter?"

"Quite honestly, I'm pretty sure he was giving you the hungry eyes," Shachi said, swimming around him in lazy circles. Law opened his eyes with a start. Was the human plotting on stealing Law's beauty, like Corazon had mentioned? "Humans always want things that are out of reach, and why is he an exception?"

The human had stared at Law like he was…Law wasn't sure how to interpret that expression. His vision was so blurry out of the water. He gave a frustrated shrug. "Shachi, what do you know of humans?"

"They have pointy things that hurt when they throw them. But," Shachi then added with a skeptical wag of his big head, "they also worship me. Some humans feed me in the colder region with the remains of their whale kills, and, I might add, they like to swim with us on these little tiny boats…! Actually, I don't have any bad experiences with humans, I just want to be a bad influence."

Law frowned at him as the orca snickered. "Where's Penguin?"

"I don't pay attention to him. But why even listen to him? How can you be sure he isn't telling lies? He's a penguin, he's easily threatened and sure to tell lies to survive. He's gonna be one of my snacks, one day," Shachi warned ominously, but Law had his doubts. He smiled because the orca was too slow to keep up with the smaller beast.

"Penguin was correct on many things. Ill not tolerate a revolt between you two right now. These are pressing matters. If I should allow Kidd his free meal," Law mumbled, looking thoughtfully at the emerald shadows that promised various mysterious, "then when should I get another chance at capturing a human to even find my answers?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Law blinked at him, watching the killer whale drift around him, lightly snapping at a nearby school of fish that evaded him with startled curses and cries.

"You don't speak the same words," Shachi pointed out. "How are you going to ask if you don't even know what it's saying to you?"

"There is that problem," Law agreed reluctantly. "This man utters strange things. The chatter is so…it changes with every ship that passes. The sounds are stranger. I haven't kept track of how different they are, but…they speak with their mouths, like me. Surely…surely this won't be too much of a problem once we can assert ourselves in such a fashion that perhaps language won't be that high of a barrier."

"Maybe you can talk with your hands? He seemed to understand your earlier gesture of eating Penguin's fish remains, so his own insides could taste more like fish when we eat him," Shachi suggested.

Law considered this with another thoughtful rub of his chin.

"Did I hear correctly?"

Both orca and merman whirled at the sound of the voice, noticing a shadow billowing gently from the nearby open drop-off. Shachi hastily darted away while Law watched smaller, more slender shadows open and tumble, revealing the being as part octopus. Its skin glistened oily black, the suction pads a pale pink. The top half was a woman with dark purple and black spotted skin that captured the underwater shades of shifting color like a moving shadow. A perfect predator that used its surroundings to hide within, attacking before prey could have a chance to react.

She was pulling herself out from underneath a shelf of a misting cliff wall, flexible and graceful as her arms moved in tandem with the flairs of her tentacles. Her hair was a vibrant purple, curly and short, lingering around her sharp facial features. Something about her markings, something about the way she moved caused Law's brow to furrow with confusion as she grinned pure white teeth and displayed some sharp talons to pull lightly at her curls with.

"You want to communicate with a human?" She shrilled, and even her voice was distorted in such a way that Law remained frozen in place, unsure of what to make of her. She glided up close to him, towering over him while her tentacles steadied herself to remain upright. She preened and feathered at her hair while her naked upper chest slowly adjusted to the lighter colors around them. "That's one of the forbidden rules, something everyone warns each other about. Don't talk to the humans, they say, avoid the humans. They want to steal something from you."

She punctuated this with a light grasp towards his chest; not touching him, but coming close to it, causing Law to move away from her with a look of distaste. She followed without allowing distance between them.

"They want to steal your beauty, they want to steal your voice, your tail…!" Every movement she made was grace underwater, but also threatening. Merfolk were capable of killing each other without any reason given – and this creature was of no exception. She invaded his space and her tentacles reached and curled and made it difficult to seek any sort of distance from her. So he stilled himself and scowled, watching her flutter around him with narrowed eyes while Shachi watched with apprehension in the shadowy distance. Fish quickly evaded them once the octo-woman was sighted, flurrying away like a panicked blanket.

"They want to own you, make you part of their discovered treasure," she continued, her lips a bright purple to accentuate those white teeth. Her eyes glittered purple, without any whites. But her lashes were made of something else, something…Law had to watch them closely to see, but he was pretty sure they were urchin spines. "But they can't keep you – they don't have tanks big enough! And, I'm pretty sure prisoners do not fare well in captivity."

"Why are you eavesdropping on something that doesn't concern you? Fuck off," Law snapped, crossing his arms over his chest as she continued to watch him with those large eyes of her, blinking absurdly long lashes.

"Aren't you prickly?" She murmured, one long talon under his chin before he twisted out of her grasp. She giggled noisily – almost forcefully as she whirled away, shaking her hips so that her tentacles seemed to dance like kelp at the sandy floor. "They said you were a little mouthy. They told me tales about what you put Corazon through, and I thought they were just childish tales of youngling tantrums!"

"How do you know Cora?" Law asked sharply, almost starting after her. "What do you know about him?"

"Everyone knows who Corazon was. Rocinante. Younger brother to…Doflamingo." She said the name in such a way that her voice deepened, and with her naked back to him, Law didn't understand the heaviness in her tone. "Corazon was well liked to those who'd had the pleasure of meeting him, and when word came back that he had a youngling in tow, well…surprised all of us. When sometimes…he was like a youngling himself."

" _Who are you_?"

After a few moments, she turned to look at him, tight curls fluttering around her sharp facial bones like wandering kelp before righting back into place. Her eyelashes were absurd, distracting. All of her was distracting – there was something about her Law couldn't place that was _wrong_ , but his senses were going haywire.

Her face tilted up towards the surface. Law couldn't even see the sun's glow over the water, couldn't see beyond the murky darkness of the depths. But she stared upward with her lashes fluttering, tracking movement he couldn't even hear.

"What would he think," she murmured lightly to herself, "if he knew you wanted to talk to a human?"

Law tightened his jaw stubbornly, arms tight. "Most of our arguments were because of my curiosity."

"Curiosity isn't always a bad thing. But…when someone is giving you a warning, shouldn't you take it as a learned experience?"

"Humans killed Cora," Law muttered. "That's what they say. But it could have been someone else – "

"It _was_ someone else, Law, and it wasn't a human. But that situation isn't for this moment. For the moment, you are laying claim on a human. And, I, curious myself, am the right benefactor for you to talk to. I've always questioned the rules," she continued, hands fluttering about with her words as she once again ventured close to him. Law stubbornly remained in place, eyes tracking her movements. He could hear Shachi slowly circling them from a safe distance, eking worried grunts and whines. "Because we don't know who is making these rules. Why follow rules that change according to the person?"

Law frowned at her uneasily, but he didn't shift as she closed up against him, tentacles roving dangerously close around his upper torso.

"What if I offered you a solution?" She asked.

"And why should I listen to a stranger?"

"Because you and I don't like rules, Law. Consider us…allies."

Law narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

"There's no reason to be afraid of them when _they_ are the ones killing _us_ for looking upon them strangely," she murmured, eyes glittering with humor. "Things that fear you first are things that don't have any power over you! Think about it."

She tapped his head with one palm before swimming past him, ensnaring a jellyfish that floated aimlessly, seemingly without control, along the sandy floor. Instead of eating it, she pulled and pinched it, causing its colors to flash with alarm. In a moment, she crushed it within both palms and lightly brushed her fingers through her curly hair, leaving behind a shimmering rainbow of muted colors that caused her hair color to pop.

But he thought about her words with wary consideration.

"Are you some sort of sea witch?" He then asked curiously. He'd heard tales of this type of merfolk, but he himself hadn't run into such a creature. He struggled to remain passive, struggling to keep his interest from showing too eagerly.

She cackled noisily, head tilted back. "You can say that! But it is only because I don't follow these silly rules others have imposed upon us! I have lived a long time, and guess what, Law? It wasn't because I followed these rules unidentifiable persons have made for their own pitiful reasons, it was because I made my own rules, and agree to those that think just like me!"

Law couldn't help but show his displeasure, face scrunching into something resembling disappointment. "Are you a deepsea weirdo? The type that only show up to cause you entertainment before returning to the dark? Why should I trust you?"

"What were you really expecting?" She asked him curiously, irritated with his response.

"You talk monstrous, but…look normal."

" _I am not a monster_!" She snarled at him, tentacles snapping around her with indignant. She exhaled, fluffing her color-streaked hair with her talons. "But you asked a good question…"

She then reached between her two front tentacles, digging deep. This caused Law a horrified look and a dropped mouth as her pink tongue caught between her purple lips as she concentrated on the effort. When she held her hand up, she had a bright piece of coral between two talons.

Before Law could pause to think about it, the image of Corazon came to mind. Before his death, he had worn a piece of coral around his neck – the exact color and shape as the one the octo-woman held now. His hands fell around his tail with immense confusion and uncertainty, watching her as she noticed she now had his attention.

"Anyone with one of these runs in the same circle," she cooed, waving it about. "I haven't had any time to create a piece of jewelry with it, like the others had with theirs, but I make sure to keep it on me, in case I meet another kindred spirit. Do I have your interest, now?"

Law couldn't think of anything to say, but his stunned silence was enough for her. She twisted it this way and that between her fingers, chuckling. Her distorted voice was distracting – it twinged from high to low, allowing Law to think she was deliberately misusing it.

"Corazon warned you to stay away from them because of his own experiences, but it wasn't always like this," she said. "Once upon a time, he was a curious fishy himself. Had he ever mentioned where he and his brother had come from, Law?"

Law thought of all the "good times" Corazon often spoke of fondly when he was in a sharing mood. How he and his family lived grandly, without trouble until his father decided to move to new waters. Law knew of Doflamingo, but Corazon never spoke of him without a mouth tightened with tension. He knew Corazon was nervous about his brother, and knew that Corazon wouldn't go out of his way to find him.

As a precaution, Law shook his head warily. "I didn't need to know that," he answered. "Because it was just he and I, and that was enough for the both of us."

"That human up there has no chance of rescue from his own kind, Law," she said. "You and I both know that. If the sea doesn't kill him, it'll be someone else. Kidd, perhaps. Or a hungry shark. Maybe a real monster. There's a storm approaching in the East Sea, Law, and you know the waves as well as I. Now's your chance. Will you take it?"

Law's heart raced with excitement. But there was always a 'but' to every extended invitation, and so he watched her warily. He turned away from her, furrowing his brow as he wondered about Corazon's past; why would he never mention this creature to Law? But he wore that coral proudly. He wore it around his neck with a thin piece of rope from sea wreckage, and he never told Law why. Law just thought the merman was decorating himself for the flash of it. The heart-shaped piece was always toyed with nervous fingers, and getting caught in unforgiving reefs to strangle him, and once, caught in the teeth of a megladon that tried to make him its meal.

That necklace was gone when Law witnessed his floating corpse.

' _The humans did it_!'

The octo-woman was speaking at his shoulder before he even realized she was there. It made his skin break out into bumps, darting away with a strangled noise leaving his surprised lips.

"If it doesn't work out, you can kill him. And Cora can sigh his relief and whisper an 'I Told You So' into your fishy ear while you're dreaming fishy dreams..."

Law's hands reminded him of the feel of the human's dry, oddly textured skin – so different from his, so…flawed. _It colored because of the sea_ , he thought incredulously. _And what was that light that looked like the sun_ …? _And are they considered that ugly that they must wear clothes_ …?

"If you should decide your fate, all you have to do is one thing for me," the woman returned, her voice deepening ever so slightly, drawing him out of his thinking. "It's really small, it's not a huge deal, but it's a pretty _big_ deal, depending on the outcome of it, and in a way, it'll benefit us all rebels. Rules are tiresome, aren't they Law? Especially when made by people that don't deserve to make them…"

"This sounds like something bigger than what I want," Law murmured uncomfortably. "Whatever Cora did with you…with…that's not my intention. I just…"

 _All this time_ , he thought with discomfort, his expression turning pensive, _I've been swimming aimlessly around this territory, without any real motives. I've no desire to return home, I've no desire to explore different options. I've simply stayed in one area, waiting for my friends to return. So for this human to come along at this moment, allowing me another option_ …

"You should've asked him where he came from, Law," the woman purred. "And he would have told you."

Law's brow furrowed as he turned to look at her.

"All you have to do, once I've given you this power, is to…" she leaned in close, causing him to pull his head back, "…fall in love with a human."

" _WHAT_ ," he barked out incredulously as she giggled, whirling away with her tentacles spinning beneath her. His face turned furiously red as he wondered if he were being toyed with. "Absurd!"

"How hard could it be?" She cried, arms up towards the surface. "If humans could become merfolk, and merfolk into humans, why can't _we_ fall in love? Besides, I just want to see if it can happen – if there are truly limits to what rules can be broken…"

Law turned and began swimming away, gnashing his teeth. Shachi ventured towards him cautiously, indicating that he needed to return to the surface. The woman called after him, talons surrounding her mouth.

"Think about it!"

: :

"I can't believe I listened to that weird jerk!" Law muttered as Shachi swam around the human like a shark encircling its prey. Penguin laughed noisily, flippers to his white stomach. Law was fuming, using his tail to steady himself as he had his arms crossed petulantly over his chest, glaring up at the glittering surface as the sun began to sink slowly towards the horizon. "Who the fuck says those sorts of things to a stranger?"

"Octopi are weird," Penguin stressed, "and you know this detail! Yet, what's funny is you chose to listen!"

"I thought I'd be coaxed into something attainable, something that could…"

Law gestured at the human that treaded the waters with his boxy torso that seemed detachable – like a hermit crab's shell – and angry shouts at a sky that gave him only clouds. Law watched him flounder, seemingly without any strength to his legs because they floated without any action as the human held onto his torso with both red hands.

 _Why mention Cora like that_? He wondered with frustration. And why wouldn't Cora mention that he was associated with people like her?

"I mean, we met when we were kids," Penguin said, swimming by him.

"I'm only _slightly_ older," Law reminded him in a mutter.

"And back then you were – are – a selfish jerk. Never talking about what you're doing and what you've done. You pull us into uncomfortable situations and expect us to follow. Not that I mind," Penguin added as Law looked at him with a scowl, "because it's better than what I'm usually doing. Raising kids, waiting for the wife to come home…"

Shachi cackled. "Those are hopes and dreams, hopes and dreams!"

"It'll happen! One day, a nice hag will gift me with a pebble!"

Shachi continued to hackle him from afar, Penguin snarling as Law languidly floated, watching the human tread water.

 _The only thing that's caught my attention_ , he thought reluctantly, _were humans. I can't say that it was a new obsession, as my own parents lectured me without answering my questions. We are forbidden from them, and they think of us as monsters, or treasures. If we are monsters, then why attempt to steal our 'beauty'?_

"What if," he then said slowly, righting himself, "Cora wasn't ready to tell me the truth…? Lacing a warning within scary and cryptic tales for a child to understand danger in a way only a child would truly fear…?"

Law was frustrated that this was unfair to himself as an adult; but it was also unfair that Corazon was dead before Law could become the adult that he was now.

"Besides, humans _are_ monsters," Penguin stated seriously. "They steal our fish, they kill our whales, they dirty our water with their waste. They leave rotting carcasses behind, expecting someone else to clean up after them. Someone waged war on them because of something that happened first, and you guys follow along because it's in the stars to do so."

"Now you're speaking of some sort of destiny, and isn't it mine to find my answers? After all this time, a human falls into my hands, and I suddenly have the key to get my answers. I'm no longer a child. Certainly, it's my time as an adult to learn the true atrocities behind those scary stories Cora used to tell me."

"Can you fall in love with something that's of another species?" Penguin asked him skeptically, swimming upside down with his flippers moving in rapid circles. "Like, if you had the power to, why aren't you married to a fish?"

"Because my dick is _this long_ – "

"I think your human is dying," Shachi observed, staring up at the surface. "He hasn't moved in ages."

Law and Penguin hurried towards the surface, lingering just deep enough to stare up at bare feet. After noting the loosely floating limbs of its arms, the crooked tilt of its head, both creatures looked at each other with alarm. Penguin shot out and slammed into one calf, expecting a reaction. The human did nothing, and Law's fingers went to his mouth with a fretful gesture.

"It's not like we know how to take care of them," he mused, reaching up to tug lightly at one large toe, and releasing quickly in learned reaction to avoid a kicking foot. He was truly alarmed when nothing happened in reaction. "Penguin, have you tried feeding it?"

"He yelled at me with his alien words. It was too scary so I ate his share and left him."

"Even if I did agree to that witch's words, the human was dead anyway," Law muttered bitterly, swatting that pale foot with a despondent gesture. His head took the full impact of a kick, but it gave him some relief to know the human was still alive. They could hear it uttering angry words, but all of them were positive that they weren't as powerful as they were. His own angry expression faltered as Penguin exhaled noisily, Shachi watching them from below with a worried expression of his own.

"I bet they eat weird stuff," Shachi said. "I've never seen a human eat, but they do hunt like us, so why not eat what Penguin offered?"

"Maybe he doesn't eat fish!"

"Maybe they eat their own dead," Law wondered. "That's why there's so many of them to a ship."

"Should we go back and find the wreckage?" Penguin asked. "There's probably some left over!"

"It'll take hours." Law watched the human pull a large piece of itself over its red head – _clothes_ , he remembered. It was pulling clothes over its head. "It might not survive that long. There is a storm brewing in the East Sea. It should hit after nightfall."

"Whelp, we've exhausted all options," Penguin said with a sigh, rubbing his flippers together. "Let's eat him. Shachi, you first, buddy. You're the fat-ass of the bunch, you probably need, like, all of it."

"I'M NOT FAT! I'm blubbery!"

"Maybe land revitalizes them," Law wondered. "Maybe it needs to recharge with something at its feet. Shachi. Allow it to stand on you."

"I'm sensitive! I bruise easily!" Shachi complained as he lumbered close, maneuvering awkwardly to push up against the human's feet. The pair watched as the human fluttered, reacting to the sensation against its soles before kicking. Shachi didn't move, but he muttered " _Ow, ow,_ " in effect. "This isn't working. Guys."

"Force him to stand on you," Law directed, giving the killer whale room to maneuver while Penguin fluttered around them. "Make him understand that we are trying to revive him."

"This thing is kicking me," Shachi complained as the human continued to try to escape his broad back, pushing and kicking away from the orca's persistence. "I don't think he wants to stand. I think he wants to just die."

" _Fools_."

The three of them whirled around with surprise, watching as the octo-woman made her way to the surface, pausing just feet from the glittering waves as she observed the human with her dark eyes. Shachi and Penguin quickly darted around Law for protection, Law watching the witch with disgusted doubt.

"This human is dying," she chirped, her facial expression changing to a cringe. "How long was it treading the water?"

Law told her.

"Humans cannot drink this water," she murmured. "It causes them harm. It is also burnt, from being exposed to the sun. That is why it is red. Also, it must likely has not eaten a human thing in hours – the elements are starting to claim it, and you fools are wasting its time with your beastly shenanigans. There is land located a day's journey towards the East – your whale can get it there faster. Are you not familiar with the area?"

Law shrugged his shoulders.

"It probably wouldn't survive the storm," she added glibly. Her tentacles waving about as her talons began to reach towards the slightly swinging feet, she then murmured, "I heard humans taste stringy and sharp – like eels. I'm not afraid to have the first taste - !"

"We're not going to eat it," Law said firmly, darting upward to place himself in front of her before she could reach the human. He turned his head away as she batted her terribly long lashes, purple lips coiled into an inquisitive 'o'. "I haven't decided what to do with it, but eating it is not an option. This land you speak of – is it really a day's travel towards the East?"

"I may have said that. But I don't think it'll survive the trip – it's weak, and there's no guarantee that it'll survive once it's on land. It could perish before you even get there. Shouldn't you reconsider my offer, Law?"

"I'm not doing that!" He snapped at her.

"You could ask it questions, questions of your deepest desires, answers you'll possibly never find again in another human! It is quite possibly your only chance, Law. Your only chance is now."

"Just to speak to it? Just to speak to it, I have to fall in love with it – what a stupid concept!" He sputtered, arms out and wide, gesturing heavily with his webbed hands. "That's impossible! No one can do that shit!"

"Besides, he's incapable," Penguin muttered from atop of Shachi's back. "He doesn't even like his own kind."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Shachi murmured with concern. "We're the only ones talking about a family, and he's busy chasing angry humans – "

Law looked back at them venomously, causing them to make faces in his direction while the woman tittered behind one palm. She then smoothed her fluffy purple hair back, baring her purple and white splotched chest to the gentle light of the sun that sparkled over the water surface. Shachi shook Penguin off, leaning in to whisper against Law's ear, "I _know_ this sea witch. It really is a sea witch, Law! Last time my pod ran into her, it wasn't a her. It was a - !"

"What kind of secrets are you spilling over there, orca?"

"NOTHING."

Law threw Shachi a puzzled look as the orca darted away, leaning in to whisper to Penguin. Law returned his attention to the octo-woman. "You never did give your name."

"And what will I get in return for telling it?"

"An address. A formal greeting. Maybe. All I know of you is that you knew Cora, that you're part of some secret society-group because you wear the same jewelry…but why should I trust you?" Law demanded, pushing the human's feet from his head as the ocean current brought the human closer to them. He ended up pushing the human away when the frenzied kicking started.

The octo-woman slithered up to him, smiling smugly. She fingered the brilliant piece of coral at her talons with clacking tips, the sound obnoxious, even for under water.

"This piece of work," she said slowly, "identifies members of our group from all around the world. And Corazon was a part of it. Why would I lie about knowing him, Law?"

"Because…you're some kind of freak. Some deep sea freak. And nobody trusts your kind. I thought that was obvious."

"Yet, instead of forcing away the issue, forcing me away from you, you continue to listen to me whisper in your ear…"

"I can't help it if you're continuously slithering around me!"

"I know what you're capable of, merman," she said on a near purr, using her pointer talon to tangle his blue-black hair. "Why Corazon thought you valuable….I saw what you did to Kidd, and Kidd knows his limits with you. You accuse _me_ of being a sea freak when you yourself…are capable of things even _we_ aren't capable of."

Law looked at his webbed hand with consideration, opening and closing his fingers. "I know a few tricks. Everyone does. It's a natural defense mechanism that all of us merfolk learn to avert predator attention."

"Have you ever tried them on a human?"

Law blinked at her, uncertain of what she meant. But he then said impatiently, "This is my first fucking time actually having one in my grasp! What the shit do you mean, _have I tried_ – ? Honestly, talking to you is a waste of my damn - !"

He was surprised when she ensnared his wrist with one tightly wound fist, and forced him to touch the human. When her talons bit into Law's flesh, he couldn't help but react defensively, the flare of his power crackling through the water like a hot snap that the human reacted to with a loud shout of pain. Law ripped away from her, pulling away from the human with a frantic expression.

The human thrashed about, hands curling around his leg – where Law had touched him – before he furiously ripped off his life jacket, ducking underwater with such a look that the octo-woman darted behind Law and Law froze because he'd never seen such an angry human before.

Once the human saw them both, his eyes widened large against his face, exhaling air bubbles that escaped a horrified scream. He seemed to forget about the pain in his leg, and kicked and thrashed the water like he was pursued by a shark. Law and the others watched the human swim fast away from them, as if rejuvenated by immense energy. In his haste, his jacket was left behind. Blinking his double lids, Law looked at the octo-woman with confusion.

"You _do_ have a scary face," he muttered, narrowing his eyes as the woman flushed with outrage.

"I am _beautiful_! And more than likely, he's fleeing because he can't handle the sight of my beauty, honey," she snapped, her voice changing to a deeper pitch that confused Law. "Most humans feel that way!"

"But he wasn't afraid looking at me."

"Because you're not beautiful at all," she sniffed haughtily, patting her hair. "But you see? You showed him a reason why humans kill us first."

Law looked at his hand with confusion, then huffed, "No, he fled because he saw your face."

"HE REACTED BECAUSE OF _YOUR_ ABILITY! Your ability, which Corazon had mentioned one time," she said impatiently, lurking around him with her tentacles in a frenzy, and her arms treading the water like restless snakes, "has the negative effect on us sea creatures. You can kill your food, you can hurt another merfolk, but on humans… _humans_ …!"

She then trailed off, looking into the distance with a startled look – as if caught in a lie. She covered her mouth with her talons, daring a glance at him. Law looked at her, unsure of the pause.

"Well," she then trailed off, patting at her tentacles like they were a restless dress, "perhaps if Cora wanted it a secret, then it's not mine to spill."

"But – "

"Your human is getting away, Law," she reminded him. "And the storm is coming. If you should reconsider my offer…you know how to get into touch with me."

"Stupid. I don't even know your name."

" _I'M NOT STUPID_! Why, you _rude_ little - ! _Ugh_! No wonder Corazon was losing his hair with you!" She huffed, swimming down into the emerald green depths below them, her tentacles trailing after her in a fluttering movement. Law watched her disappear, a petulant look to his face.

"Anyway, now that the scary person is gone," Shachi spoke up near his ear, after breaking the surface for air, "that particular person isn't what you think she is."

"It's not even a she!" Penguin sputtered, covering his beak with both flippers, giggling noisily. He hurled himself upward, ensnaring the human's jacket and finding himself awkwardly entangled, zooming around the water with the sleeves flapping around him.

Law looked to them, and began trailing after the human – who, even after they'd observed his listless actions earlier, seemed to have a good spurt of energy going. His swimming strokes were strong and lithe, and he had a good amount of speed going. Law trailed after him, furrowing his brow with curiosity as his friends followed. Once he realized what they were implying, he stopped swimming to look back of his friends, Penguin finally making his way out of the jacket's entanglement.

"Wait…what?"

"The sea witch switches sex depending on availability of mates, Law. The last time my pod ran into this…person, she was a he," Shachi whispered. "And its name is Ivankov- from the far north, where the waters take your breath away."

"An octopus cannot survive in those temps."

"Never said they were a native in the area – just said they were from those temps. Thus…the name."

"Oh. Well…that…explains some things," Law sputtered, wearing a confused expression. "But…it only opens the door for more questions. I didn't know octopi were capable of switching sex."

"Sea. _Witch_ ," Shachi explained, nodding his massive head about, as if it explained everything. Because Law didn't know…he had to take it at the orca's word.

"Maybe you should look into that, buddy," Penguin then told Law. "I mean, considering your future progeny – "

"I've never been interested in 'progeny'," Law hissed at him, Penguin shrugging as the merman headed off with a flap of his tail.

: :

Sanji swam, only vaguely alarmed at the energy strumming through him. As night began to fall, heavy storm clouds began darkening the skies and gave the water an ominous hum of electricity; the waves were getting bigger, curling over his head and crashing over him, but the life jacket helped keep him afloat. He could kick and tread the water, duck under a wave, but he felt strong enough to do so. He couldn't quite think – all he could think of was seeing that mannish-faced thing hiding behind the merman he'd met –

Quite frankly, men who dressed like women frightened the shit out of him. He couldn't explain it, it was one of his most crippling fears, and he couldn't believe sea creatures did the same. All he could see in his memory was a lurking monster with elaborate makeup, talons open and wide, displaying the width and length of their pricking tips – _it was a man, it was a man, it was a man_!

He squeezed his eyes shut, ducking underneath a curling wave. He couldn't do this forever, he recognized. Thunder crashed in the distance, and he was absolutely positive he was going to die – but he needed to make sure he put some distance between himself and that man thing.

Why didn't he feel the same for the obvious fish man?

"He's so _pretty_!" Sanji said out loud, sputtering salt water and speaking with immense disgust about himself. Ever word was laced with mocking sarcasm towards himself. He paused in swimming by hitting the waves with clenched fists. "Such a _pretty_ man – eat my guts, _pretty_ guy. I'd let you. But the other one? No fucking way!"

He resumed swimming with rigid determination, knowing he wasn't getting anywhere. The waves kept pushing him back. The earlier energy he'd felt – _what was that?_ – was starting to fade. His arms were aching. His neck felt tight. Water kept slapping him, stinging his eyes – it didn't hurt as much anymore, but maybe his sunburn had killed all his nerve endings, so he couldn't feel his own face anymore.

Sanji kicked and stretched his arms, his life jacket keeping him afloat. That terrible litany began to return, tugging at his dry eyes and his sunken skin. _I'm so thirsty…I'm so thirsty_ …

He looked up at the sky, knowing rain would hit. Treading water as best as he could, pulling his life jacket into place and tying the ties with strength, he felt a combination of hope and despair. Rain would come, perhaps he'd get a few swallows – it wouldn't be enough – but rain meant a storm, and that was guaranteed to force salt water into his gaping mouth before rain could do a thing. Wave after wave built and pushed at him, shoving him back – eliminating his desperate progress. His wet blond hair clung to his face as he forced his back to the waves, clutching his life jacket with both hands and using his legs to kick and steady himself. The waves were rising higher – lifting and dropping him like a forceful handover.

Soon they'd build higher – build into the sort of waves that knocked ships like the Orbit about like a toy. He couldn't possibly survive that sort of force. His arms flailed to steady himself as waves crashed together, forcing water up his nose and mouth.

 _Damn it!_ He thought with despair, coughing and hacking, unable to help swallowing. _DAMN IT!_

One particular wave carried him several feet over the surface, forcing him to tumble and crash back first into the water. He sputtered and coughed, striking at the strength of the water to fight himself into a steady position. Before he could recover, another wave picked him up and caused him another tumble. The moment he popped his head up, water slammed into him from above. The crashing force pushed him underneath, and he treaded it for a moment before his life jacket forced him back to the surface, just to have the motion repeat. He couldn't catch his breath.

Staring down at the dark depths below, seemingly undisturbed by the storm building above, Sanji could hear thunder rumbled strongly over head. _At least there's no lightening,_ he thought morosely. _I'm going to die. I'm going to_ die…

Forced back to the surface, Sanji took another deep breath before he loosened the ties of his life jacket and pulled out of it. The waves stole it and him away from each other before he could change his mind. Picked up and thrust into the water once again, Sanji gave up.

 _Fuck_ , he thought with absolution. He opened his eyes, holding what breath he had left. He heard the thunder of his heart underneath the water, heard the answering anger of the thunder – the churning waves at the surface were a constant roar that made it feel like a monster was breathing and bellowing over his head. _At least I was free. At least I got to do what I wanted to do. I had some adventures, I experienced some good._

At that, he pushed himself further underwater. He fixed his collar, and straightened his vest – the stark black and white seemed so brilliant against the water's cool green and blue. He wanted to look presentable when he was allowed at the gates. He couldn't see the depths under his pale feet – but the sparkling pieces of sea debris, the seemingly beckoning shadows felt more welcome than the storm's raging strength above his head.

The urge to breathe was great, but he grit his teeth.

 _It feels like fire to breathe in water_ , he thought, recalling other sailors' tails. _The lungs will fill with the weight of water, the body will suffocate. I'll still be alive when I'm forced to stop breathing_.

He could hear his heart start to race with panic. He covered his mouth with both hands, squeezing his eyes shut as his veins filled with the warmth of his fear. His heart seemed to pick up, sensing its impending doom. The oxygen remaining in his body prevented him from sinking, and it felt wrong to fight against the instinct to try again for air. But he released his mouth and turned vertical, swimming down instead of up. The pressure encouraged him to stop, seemingly pushing him back towards the surface. Fish that were invisible from above were darting away from him with startled looks, their wide eyes looking at him with bewilderment and panic of their own.

 _So many different colors_ , Sanji thought wondrously, fighting the urge to turn around. The last of his air exhaled from his mouth, producing bubbles that raced each other towards the surface. Thunder seemed to vibrate all around him. He could hear the crashing sounds of the waves building in strength – the surface was a chaotic and vengeful sight of white and blue. A flash of light told him that nature wasn't going to ease down to allow him any peace. His lungs were tight for a moment before he involuntarily breathed in. He coughed, choked, and grabbed his own throat as terror and instinct battled his resolve.

He kicked, arms flailing away from him in a moment's helplessness to push towards the surface but he felt so heavy already. So he faced the surface to watch the white and dark swirl of water rage against the surface, lightening creating fingers against the black underside of the storm clouds. He could hear each individual wave build and crash – his heartbeat raced and finally began to slow. A white mist began to build like an unforgiving pressure against his eyes.

 _It's okay_ , Sanji told himself, his inner voice faint as his body twitched. _It's okay…this is your choice_ …

Hard pressure at his arm and a yanking, savage force seemed to p ull his body from that thought. And suddenly he was coughing and choking in air, vomiting water as it crashed over his head. But it wasn't as strong as it was earlier, and oxygen wasn't enough. He still had so much weight in his chest, his stomach – every part of him felt like useless jelly. Even his skeleton was unforgiving with what felt like fire-hot pokers for bones. His head and neck felt like it was stretched beyond usefulness. His eyes felt like they were bulging with pressure, but he could _breathe_.

An unwelcome jolt of pressure and hot liquid raced through him, forcing him to inhale sharply. All at once, his senses returned like he'd only blinked for too long, and his lungs were clear. He turned his head, noticing that his savior was uttering those strange sounds towards the orca that could barely be heard over the storm's rage. But the fish man was holding Sanji aloft and shielding him from the tremendous waves that barely rattled the being's blue-black head.

In an insane moment of realization, Sanji looked at him with gratitude and shining awe.

 _My hero_ , he thought in a daze. Once he realized how feminine that sounded in his own head, he choked on his own spit.

" _Ahhhh_!" He cried with dismay, his head tossed back. "Just let me _die_!"

The stern look he received in return from that regal – _beautiful_ – face had Sanji freezing in mid-misery. He straightened up immediately, as if scolded by an authority figure. Sanji's face twisted with self-cringe, dazed by his own reactions. But in that minute gesture, he marveled over the seemingly veil-sheer gills as they shaped to the size of that sharp jawline ( _oh, the girls would swoon over that_ , Sanji thought vaguely), the color of his white and tan skin, the sheer shimmer of his dorsal fins that spread from the shape of his -manly – broadly muscled shoulders. Lightening cast a gleaming light over wet skin, illuminating blue-black hair and made those glowing eyes bright. So Sanji's mouth dropped with sheer amazement, caught in that moment of time with his own wonder.

Then they were underneath the water, and it happened so quick that he wasn't prepared but that fishman was guiding him to the orca, who presented its back to Sanji. He understood by the deliberate placement of his hands that he was to hold onto the creature by its dorsal fin, and he looked with panic at the fishman that only gave him a confirming nod to 'hold on'. Before he could protest, the killer whale jolted forward, and Sanji had to focus on holding on. The water churned and thundered with pressure from above, so he pressed his face as close to the fin as he could, to allow it to divert water from hitting him too strongly. He was surprised at the grip of his own hands as he held on – he'd lacked his own strength, so where was this new energy coming from? – and his legs were helplessly caught in the streaming movement of the killer whale's momentum.

But Sanji held on. And when it seemed like he couldn't hold his breath any longer, the orca would breach to allow him a deep inhale and then they were off again. When it seemed like he couldn't hold on, his hands too slippery to grip that surprised strong fin, the fishman would grab his wrist and Sanji would feel that energy again.

 _The only myth_ , he thought, looking at the stony face that gave Sanji the necessary strength to hold onto the massive sea creature, _was that beautiful lady mermaids pulled sailors to their doom. There was nothing in those tales that said anything like this_ …!

The storm raged overhead like a living creature on its own, and he could see the water churn and bubble from the force above. Lightening illuminated the surface, each rising wave a separate entity backlit by the sky – rain pounded down, a constant shower. The constantly changing pressure made his ears ache. But he held on.

Hours later, something felt different. The world felt different. There was the constant chatter of sound, but changing notes that seemed to draw awareness from the cold, wet hole he felt suffocated in. Something hit his face, something he chose to ignore because it felt similar to the wet slap of water he'd been treading for what felt like countless days. As he slowly pulled towards consciousness, his skin registered the gentle warmth of the sun. The crashing of waves hitting a beach. The sound of birds in rustling trees, the whistle of the wind whipping through leaves. Something hit him again, and Sanji sluggishly opened his swollen eyes. He faced the sea – a broad, sparkling line of blue with the storm only a bad memory visible in the horizon. But he was on land. The sand was gold with the sun's warmth, the froth of the waves slapping the beach white and sea scum green. The penguin dropped the rock it held in its beak and perked up with a noisy screech.

Sitting up, Sanji gaped at the obvious weight of the beach he was resting on. He was _alive_. He was _saved_! Pure energy swept through him with hot, amazing heat, and he pushed himself up to sit with a mild laugh. The sun's golden rays were barely visible underneath a layer of angry, grey clouds, but what was able to slip through caused the surface of the sea to glitter. He was incredulous, staring out at the sea with amazement. For a moment, he wasn't sure if he'd dreamt all that weird stuff, but his lungs still felt sore, and his body seemed to have atrophied. He touched his chest, unconsciously checking the buttons of his shirt and vest. His jacket was nearby, the penguin waddling over to it with its fins standing straight out to keep itself steady. It was so noisy. It grabbed the material of the jacket, lifted and tossed it down, looking at Sanji with seeming demand.

Sanji's eyes whipped from the penguin to the glittering surface of the sea. Where was…?

He rose unsteadily to his feet. His knees wobbled having to support his weight. He felt like a newborn deer, figuring out how to stand on his own. But the sand felt like heaven. His toes dug into the wet sand, sinking ever so slightly. He laughed again, sweeping his salt-thick hair from his face. Looking up at the sky, he marveled at the presence of clouds, the change of color that reflected the dull luminosity of green against gray. He breathed, but his lungs felt scratched, so he coughed, covering his mouth with one palm. He took several unsteady steps, the penguin waddling ahead of him as it zoomed towards the water. After a brief struggle to fight the shallow shore, it managed to finally swim, screeching noisily all the way before finally disappearing underneath the water.

Sanji watched it go before turning to look at the island. While birds were present, light trees shading the shore, he wasn't sure if it were occupied. He didn't recall seeing the landmass when they were sailing – he wasn't sure where he was. But if this island had trees, animals and life, well…he'd live. He was grateful. He was given another chance, and he wished he could thank the fishman for this opportunity. He turned to stare out at the sea, his face heavy with salt and glittering with sand. The quiet of the island pulled at his ears, allowing no other sign of human activity.

He exhaled deeply, hands finding their way to his hips. Well…he was alive. And he had his jacket, which meant he had access to fire. His cigarettes!

He rummaged through his jacket, finding the plastic baggie. He allowed himself one, breathing in deeply of the smoke – he celebrated his life with that one cigarette, closing his eyes and allowing the nicotine to sink into his cells.

 _Thank you, beautiful fishman. Stupid, beautiful fishman_ , Sanji thought, sinking to sit on his knees in the sand aside his jacket. He rested chin upon palm, smoke stinging his sensitive nostrils and causing him to cough at the same time. _Giving this stupid idiot another chance at life_ …

Something caught his ear at that moment, and he realized it was a disturbance in the waves nearby. Sanji opened his eyes to look, furrowing his brow with curiosity. The waves lapped gently at the shore, spilling over water and foam that bubbled lightly against the sand. Birds shrilled in the trees behind him, fluttering from branch to branch, causing leaves to twirl on their way to the undisturbed dirt.

Sanji rose to stand, crossing an arm over his middle to grasp his own opposite elbow, palm still at his face as he scanned the water. _Did that thing come back to shore_? He wondered, releasing his elbow to shield his eyes against the sun. It sounded like something was walking up onto shore –

"Hello, human."

Sanji almost choked on his cigarette at the mannish voice coming from behind him. He whirled around, catching his cigarette ember side up with his fingers and hissing in reaction. But once he saw who was addressing him, he froze with stark fear and dismay, dropping the cigarette onto the sand. The rush of blood to his head hit him all at once, and Sanji felt his eyes roll up and his entire body stiffen like a plank.

Ivankov fluffed her hair with sharp tipped fingernails, the curls drying with effort in the open air. She enjoyed Sanji fainting at her feet, her purple and white body bared and obvious to the world. She was walking human, and she was _positive_ it was her sheer beauty that had the human fainting. She played with the dangling piece of coral at her neck, briefly scraping her Adam's Apple with the movement.

Observing the surface world with her fluttering lashes, Ivankov thought it was a good day for a merfolk to become human.

: :

When Sanji awoke, his head was pounding with a headache. The sun was visible through the clouds, and birds were pecking at his loose, torn clothing. Once he began moving, they fluttered away from him with cries of panic. His thoughts spun, his stomach growling noisily. His throat was so dry. His lips were chapped. His hair was dried in heavy tangles that pulled at his scalp. As he laid there, blinking heavy eyelids, he slowly became aware of new sounds.

It's awake!

That thing is awake!

What is it?

What is it?

 _Voices?_ He wondered with a grimace. He sat up slowly, palm to the middle of his forehead as the headache raged. _Coming from where_ …?

He looked down at himself, his memory clumsily jolting. Once he saw the image of a naked man standing in front of him with accusing womanly attachments, his eyes widened and he was on his feet in a second, scanning the beach for the creature. The voices were louder, slightly muffled from above his head. Sanji turned and scanned the trees, looking for the children speaking. Not that they were children – just resembling young voices. But all he saw were the birds fluttering from branch to branch. For a moment, a crazy thought occurred to him – _were the birds speaking?_

He gaped up at them, mind conjuring the earlier sound of bird chirps and whistles. But as their beaks opened and closed, Sanji was quite positive he was hearing them speak.

Build a nest!

Tend the eggs!

Worm! Worm!

Look at this bug!

What is that? What is that down there?

What is that thing?

Sanji's eyes widened, mouth dropping. His hands went to his ears with incredulous pawing, certain he had hit his head when he'd fainted. He scanned the beach again, hearing more voices echo out from the sky above. Seagulls were flapping their large wings, talking noisily and laughing as they exchanged tales of popular feeding spots along the shore. Taking a few steps, Sanji followed the source of the noise, but the chatter was coming from the groups of birds that ignored him.

 _What is this_? He thought with dumbfounded horror. _How is it I understand birds?_

"Hey, dumb ass!"

Sanji whirled with a start, tripping against the soft sand as the penguin waddled up from the surf, dragging a large fish after it. It huffed and puffed, clearly clumsy as it walked. His eyes widened even larger as his heart raced, wondering if he'd heard right. The penguin opened its beak and dropped its hold on the fish, out of breath and troubled by its arduous task. It cocked its head to look up at him, flippers open.

"Humans sure look stupid," it said. "Look at you, with a mouth wide open like a baby…you think I'm gonna stuff this down your throat myself? I ain't going that far!"

For a few moments, its crude words rang through Sanji's mind like a shout – he desperately wanted to place its earlier shrill cackles and trills within the space of those words, but the penguin was absolutely speaking to him. He closed his mouth slowly, inhaling and exhaling slowly. He looked up at the sky, watching thick clouds drift by in half swirls.

"You did it, you dumb bastard," he whispered to himself. "You actually killed me. You succeeded, and this is how you amuse yourself…"

The penguin suddenly whirled, waddling furiously back to the water. It was so clumsy on land, that Sanji watched it flee. "It spoke to me! It spoke! I can hear its dumb words! Shachi! Shachi! Help me!"

From the water, the orca appeared, almost breaching itself into the shallow water. It released gusty laughter as it slapped the waves with its fluke and shuffled its large body through the shallows as if it were prepared to launch itself onto the shore. Sanji froze once more. Because instead of the chitter that he'd heard earlier, he was hearing an orca _laugh_.

"What are you freaking out about, you buffoon? Look at you! Lose some weight, fat ass!"

"Shachi! Enough! The human spoke to me!"

"Ah ha ha ah ha ha look at your fat belly go!"

"Shut up! Help me! It's trying to monster me to death!"

The killer whale shuffled back into deeper water, rolling tummy to sky before drifting away, tale slapping once more. The penguin leapt and skid until it, too, could flee. Sanji stood there, absolutely frozen by the outburst of voices around him.

The birds in the trees were speaking excitedly, the seagulls were still gossiping over his head, and the killer whale and the penguin were chasing each other through the deeper waters, laughing and speaking in broken ways as they entered and exited the water with hasty breaches.

Sanji sat slowly in the sand. His hands rested on his knees, and he continued his deep, easy breathing. After absorbing the sounds around him, he accepted the situation as is. After all, there was nothing else he could do about it. He rose from his seated position, to go and find where he'd fallen. Sure enough, there was a separate set of prints along side of his fallen form. From the depth of those steps, that strange person that was both man _and_ woman had knelt beside him. But…why…?

He followed the steps as they'd retreated back the way they'd come. Down to the water, the prints washed away by the moving surf. He scanned the waters, stomach gurgling noisily.

 _If I could hear those things speak_ , he thought wondrously, _can I also hear…him_?

Thunder rattled so close by that his very bones rattled as he jolted. After a tentative glance towards a darkening sky, Sanji looked away from the water and into the trees. He had to make shelter. He had to find food, fresh water. Then maybe…once he had his senses collected…he'd go find _him_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Shadow: 3**

* * *

From what Sanji could see, the island wasn't that big – but it had shade, a mixture of animals and running water that he spent some time at, gulping slightly warm water that had a lingering aftertaste. It was enough to make him sick, but it was refreshing after intaking all that salt water he had accidentally swallowed during the storm. Considering his supplies (none) and his predicament, he had to ignore the fact that various animals used the fresh water to replenish with their daily visits; he couldn't boil it, which would be safer, because he had yet to find a container that could withstand heat. The ground around the pools of water were littered with bird waste and their tracks. Feathers of various colors were caught in the thin strands of salt grass that sat in patches throughout the island.

He washed his clothes and hung them from a branch, cursing the animals that cried out in alarm over his bright skin, alarmed by his minimal invasion. Soon, Sanji had to reflect that he had somehow hit his head or had gone sea crazy because he was fully understanding animal chatter and they understood him. Insulted that they were panicking over his nakedness, he smoked a cigarette and swatted at the birds that bombarded him. He picked out berries and gulped them by the handful before feeling slightly better – he took a nap on a patch of grass, and by the time he felt well enough to continue moving, his clothes were dry. The air was humid enough to be comfortable, his hair a ruffled mess at the back of his neck, but also hot enough to leave his shirt and vest swinging open. His high waisted trousers felt loose, suspenders dangling at his hips – his undershirt was hanging by thread and prayer while his shirt shoulders were torn and swinging lightly at his biceps. But the collar remained, and he did need clothing to protect from the sun, so he made do with disappointment. He rolled his trouser legs up to his calves, the material burnt and torn in some obvious areas.

Jacket over one shoulder, he explored what he could of the island, looking for human occupancy. But based on what he could find, this was an island of birds. The droppings, nests, and constantly ringing voices was an indication of this. When rain fell over the island, it collected in rock pools that drained down towards the shore. The trees were tall, but young. Judging by the greenery and liquefaction of some areas of the island, this was a land mass produced by underwater volcanic activity. The birds found their way here somehow – Sanji was confident there was a bigger island somewhere close by.

He made a fire near the shore, sheltered by the trees. Birds scattered in alarm, frightened by the smell and his intentions. So he marched to the water where he was brought in, scanning the sea for any sign of the creatures that had saved him. The water was calmer, here. Peaceful. But he could not forget the strength and danger he'd faced hours ago, and therefore, he couldn't see the water in the same light. He waded in, watching crabs rush out of his sight by digging into the sand.

Sanji thought about the fishman, wearing a frown of consternation. _Admiration_ , he told himself sternly, the breeze ruffling his hair. _It was all admiration – in my moments of panic and fright, it was warped into something else._

He sniffed haughtily, kicking at the foam with his foot. Remembering his injury caused by the sharkman, Sanji examined the ankle. Nothing. As if it hadn't been dislocated at all. He leaned down to rub on his hairy ankle, mystified by its strength and lack of injury. He thought about the grip on his wrist, and shoved the sleeve up to look for fingerprints. Rubbing the skin there, Sanji felt uncomfortable with perhaps this merman had some sort of healing power.

 _Wouldn't that be something_? He thought with awe.

He went to work later on, pulling on tree roots to create a fishing line. Then he found an area where a rocky shelf curved over the water near the shore, and sat at the edge, casting and re-casting in hopes of catching a fish. He sat with his shoulders rounded and his face tilted up to the sun.

 _What a fantastic story to bring back_ , he thought _. I can't wait to tell my friends about this. Would they even believe me_?

A short time later, the root line was yanked out of his hands, startling him badly enough to lose his sitting position, tumbling into the water. He cursed furiously, uprighting himself and slinging hair out of his face as he watched the water churn with movement. Freezing with apprehension, he treaded the water carefully, aware of the rocky points just under his feet. They were slick with moss, pointy with sharp edges.

The penguin popped up with a muffled curse, sluggishly headed to shore. Sanji watched it with mystification, scanning the waters for any sign of his savior. _I couldn't see him the first time_ , he thought, cupping water in his hands and sweeping aside, as if the action would reveal the lurking creature. _His coloring allowed him perfect camouflage to blend in with his surroundings.._

He made his way to shore, the penguin leaving a fat fish against the sand and foam, lurching away from him. Sanji glanced at the fish, then darted after the animal before he could escape safely into deeper water. He hauled the frightened, screaming animal over his head, mindful of the wild flippers and the scratching, clawed feet.

Making his way into the water, waves banging against his knees, Sanji scanned the surface for any sign of that gorgeous sea dweller.

"Help! Help! I'm being eaten!" The penguin shrilled, wiggling frantically. "Mauled alive! HELP! SHACHI!"

The orca popped up further from shore, Sanji adjusting his grip as he faced that direction. "Oh no! The human is eating him! Oh, what a gory and terrible sight! There's blood _everywhere_!"

"My mouth is no where near the thing!" Sanji shouted, the killer whale performing a double take and somehow resting atop of the waves to look at him with its face tilted. It's mouth opened to reveal sharp teeth and a pink tongue – almost as if gaping at him. Sanji felt stupid with the flailing penguin over his head, but he was going to use the advantage while he could. He shook the animal. "But I will! I will eat him if you don't send that other guy to me."

"He can _talk_!" The orca cried, voice dipping with shock before turning its head to look at him with its other eye. "The human…! It can talk!"

" _I told you!_ " The penguin shrilled. "And you didn't believe me! Now, I will _die_ because you didn't believe me!"

"The human can talk!" The killer whale cried once more, pushing itself back underwater and popping back up to continue looking at Sanji with one eye. "Witch! Witch! Penguin! Save yourself!"

" _I'm trying!_ "

Turning away from their jabber, Sanji scanned the waters, walking to where it reached his waist. The water was cold, he realized, shivering lightly. He shook the penguin again. "I will carve him up and use his skin for boots if you don't - !"

The water shifted around his feet, and he was astonished to see a thick dark shape swirl around him, like a shadow. He caught the glimmer of white against black, of bright amber eyes, but tanned and white skin seemed to perfectly match against the shifting sand. The fluttering tail with its various fins looked like a mismatch against the glow of the water, allowing Sanji to think that this creature wasn't a native to the area. He tossed the penguin aside, turning on his feet to watch the water swirl ever so slightly with the creature's movement. His heart was thundering noisily in his ears, Adam's Apple caught in a gulp – he had to urge to retract his feet and hold them close.

"Just kidding," he said, finding those two pinpoints of amber as the penguin cursed and noisily tore up the sand below to make it difficult for Sanji to see anything at all. He turned to head back to shore – for safety reasons – when the merman intercepted him by pushing himself out of the water, bared to the air from head to the top of his stomach.

 _Those muscles are unreal_ , Sanji thought incredulously, unable to shift his eyes elsewhere as he gaped at the creature. His eye noticed a trailing sluice of water making its way from broad shoulders to a very firm pectoral, where it trailed around a dark, beaded nipple. _Carved out of rock! Wait – wait,_ wait _, wait, stop looking - ! Why am I looking_ there _….!_

He gulped as the merman looked at him with an expression of bewilderment, double eyelids blinking fast as they took in Sanji like Sanji were some sort of incredulity himself. The silence was so thick that Sanji couldn't remember if he'd spoken first, or the merman. He cleared his throat as the creature continued to stare at him. He wondered what his appearance said about him to an underwater creature – was he something to marvel at as he marveled over it? Or…was he something ugly and boring? Something that escaped attention? He felt uncharacteristically nervous of the creature's opinion.

Now _what did I want to say_? Sanji screamed at himself inwardly, aware that all his previous thoughts were missing. _His face absolutely scatters my own thoughts!_

"He tried to eat me," the penguin snarled at the merman's side. He placed himself behind the merman, looking at Sanji with angry wiggles of its head. "He tried to eat me, Law. _Kill_ him, maul him to the death so that we may feast on his ugly bones!"

Sanji drew his eyes (with immense effort) to the narrowing amber eyes that were undershadowed with colored bags – a merman with a sleeping problem? – and shifted awkwardly, drawing his shirt closed with some modesty. He cleared his throat, finding buttons and quickly slipping them closed. He noticed the merman looking at the gesture with some momentary distraction, watching as Sanji then drew his suspenders over that shirt, adjusting the vest moments later. Then he let his hands drop, watching as the merman continued to look at his clothes with obvious bewilderment before looking at his face with questions that Sanji could _see_.

"Civilized humans don't run amuck with all their flesh on display," Sanji told him sternly, clearing his throat again. He was treated to eyes that widened with disbelief towards his mouth then to his face, clearly as shocked as he to hear that they could understand each other. Sanji was so stumped by the merman's reaction that he promptly forgot his next admonishment, unable to stop his fluttering hands to make their way to his collar. He adjusted and fixed based on instinct while the merman actively gaped at him. He made a gasping sound, quickly ducked under the water, and re-emerged.

"Wow, you can hold your breath for awhile, can't ya?"

" _How_ …?" Law questioned with amazement, unable to understand how he understood every word leaving the human's mouth. When, only hours later, they were absolute aliens to each other, with chatter that didn't make any sense or detail.

Sanji was mortified by the slow rising flush in his face. That voice. It was as unreal as the merman's proud, manly body. The heat was uncomfortable; he was baking slowly in his own clothes. He loosened his collar, searched for a tie that was not there. For a fleeting moment of distraction, he wondered where he'd lost it.

 _I am reacting to a fishman's_ voice, Sanji thought with disbelief, eyes dropping to that outrageously muscled chest once more before forcing his eyes back to the merman's face. He looked to the sky. _Please don't smite me!_

"I told you," the penguin insisted, rather impatiently. He pecked at the merman's shoulder before flapping his flippers against the surface. "Let's eat him before he does something outrageous!"

"How are you speaking similarly to me?" Law asked, ignoring Penguin with a light elbow to the animal's body. His gills twitched, and he angrily retreated to the water to compose himself. His own heart was racing with a mixture of excitement and shock, and he wasn't sure how this was possible. Before he could turn to break through to the surface, the human snagged him near his tail fluke and tugged, causing Law to choke with the outright rude gesture.

"Don't you swim away from me!" Sanji snarled, only slightly assured that this fishman's tail felt similarly to an actual fish; where the skin was slick and slippery with its oils, where the obvious muscle detailed just how much strength was in there. The merman slipped out of his grasp with a snap, and he was once again breaching the surface to look at him, teeth bared.

"Don't touch my tail!"

"Don't swim away when I'm talking to you," Sanji returned just as mulishly, trying to fix his hair. But those amber eyes locked onto his eyebrows with the usual amount of bewilderment Sanji received from other humans. A somewhat normal reaction. Sanji sputtered as he tried to will his thoughts and instinct back under his control. "I– I wanted to thank you. That's all I wanted, I…this other stuff…however it happened, I don't…but surely it's something _you_ did."

" _I_ didn't do this."

"Okay, let me just say," Sanji decided, hand up, "you have ridiculous lung strength. You can't breathe air, yet you're right here, exchanging long sentences with me, and that is just…some sort of godly ability, so…are you…some sort of god, or gifted with magic…?"

After silence seemed to stretch between them, he dropped his hands to his side while Law continued to look up at him with obvious confusion. Law's eyes dropped then lifted, tilting his head ever so slightly. "Did you just…compliment me?"

After some hesitation, Sanji nodded awkwardly, adding, "Yes."

After taking a breath underwater, Law reappeared with suspicion clear on his features. "Are you plotting to ease my fears by distracting me with your intended assessment on my physical presentations? To steal my skin, or tail, or present my body to your…your hierarchy as proof or treasure?"

Sanji blinked, hand to his chest. He gave a nervous look around, the penguin seeming to dare him to answer correctly.

"No," he answered slowly. "I…this is…my own…I'm complimenting you out of my own awe, and…I absolutely need to express what I think…and that is…unusual for me, as I…don't…well, men are…beneath my notice."

Law watched him with a confused expression, blinking slowly before looking to his companion with doubt. He then gave Sanji a doubtful, "You are a type of king, where men are beneath your notice?"

"Oh, no, far from it. So…you have that sort of thing in your world, too? People telling you what to do? Telling you how to live?"

Law released an expression of consternation, dropping back underwater, the penguin following. Sanji watched them speak to each other beyond his hearing, and his fingers returned to his collar once more, flicking and straightening while he wondered why the private conversation.

Law returned to Sanji, a little frustrated.

 _Even with that pout_ , Sanji thought with amazement, _this gentlemen is absurdly godly with his physical appearance_.

"How are you speaking similarly?" Law asked again, palm gesturing at him. "Were you always able to communicate with us? Were you attempting to – "

"I woke up, and immediately noticed that the birds were talking," Sanji stressed. "Birds do not speak human words where I come from. And this fish…"

He gestured at Penguin, who reacted with an insulted jerk of his head. Law glanced at his friend and said curtly, "He is obviously a penguin. Not a fish."

"This fish and his Little John buddy over there, that other fish – "

"Shachi is a killer whale. Not…not a 'Little John'."

Sanji drew in a deep breath, palms together with the corrections. "The fact that I am speaking to a man who is half fish – "

"I am a merman."

"I am _dead_ , and I am stuck in a Hellish _limbo_ – "

"No, this is an island. Ivankov had mentioned it was here."

Sanji quieted, blinking repetitively. Before he could collect himself, after Law had swept underwater and re-emerged behind him, Law asked, "What was that light on your ship?"

Sanji turned to look at him, cocking his head. "Fire?"

"What is fire?"

For a moment, Sanji couldn't speak. But Law was near him once more, looking at him suspiciously. "Are you a part of us? I've never seen a human swim. How were you swimming? And…what was that thing that did this…"

His webbed hands indicated Sanji's life jacket, but before he could answer, Law asked, "And as you are a human, I do not trust you. Your kind kills my kind. Are we monsters to you? Or something of value? You learned to speak so that you may trick me into dying - !"

"I _beg_ your _pardon_! Good sir, and I stress that as sarcastically as possible, _you_ did this to me. You and that weird – man/woman thing! That thing - !"

" _Ivankov_ approached you?" Law interrupted his outraged sputtering with a look of consternation, his facial expression reflecting shock and horror. He was suddenly in Sanji's space, examining him for anything out of place while Sanji watched him with utter confusion. "You and Ivankov spoke?"

"I mean…there was some fainting involved, but it definitely…definitely wasn't on my part," Sanji mumbled, avoiding eye contact. He pushed Law aside as he then stalked towards the shore, shaking his rolled up pants with outrage. "I don't need to explain myself any further. The facts are – we can speak. And I only wanted to thank you for your service. You didn't have to rescue a stupid human like myself, but you did. I can figure it out from here, thank you, _thank you_ , and have a good life."

Law ducked his head underneath the water and made his way up onto the sandy shallows, pulling and crawling until he was mostly exposed to the sun to continue speaking to him. Sanji noticed the efforts, but seeing the fishman mostly out of water allowed him to see the true length of the creature. The tail was longer than his mannish torso – the fins floating against the moving waves like gossamer veils. Despite himself, Law's effort to keep himself steady caused Sanji some worry. But that expression of the fishman's was truly terrifying. His amber eyes seemed to burn like fire.

"You didn't agree to any promises in return for this gesture, did you?" Law snarled at him, Sanji's hands moving fretfully to his collar in an unconscious flutter.

 _What are you doing_? He then asked himself impatiently, face twisting with outrage over his own reaction. _You fear no man's stern tone_!

Before he could answer, he noticed that Law had particularly sharp teeth. Not like the sharkman's, but definitely sharp. Sharp enough to render a human body to shreds if deemed so.

"Er," he mumbled. "No. I swear it. It only greeted me before…before all the events caught up to me, and I…I took a sudden nap."

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Law pushed and shoved himself out from the shallows, diving back into the water with a heavy splash. The only indication of his leave was the churning swirls left behind. The penguin, which had been arguing noisily with the killer whale, took notice and both creatures hastily disappeared from sight.

Sanji stood there for several minutes, utterly confused.

 _Okay, this is not my fault_ , he ended up thinking with absolve. He picked up the fish the penguin had dragged onto the beach and headed towards his makeshift campsite.

: :

"IVANKOV!" Law bellowed, swimming frantically close to the ocean floor, looking for the darkest of shadows. Fish scattered away from him, various animals shooting away from his furious face and angry bellows. "IVANKOV!"

"That witch is causing all the problems! When we find him, we eat him!" Penguin snarled, looking for the octo-woman from another direction.

"Why eat our enemies?" Shachi asked from the other side. "What if they give us terrible tummies?"

"It's the only way to be sure they're gone, Shachi. Keep up with us."

"Her, _her_ ," Law corrected impatiently. "I know her as a woman, we address her as 'her'."

"Alright, alright, _bossy_ ," Penguin murmured.

"She did something," Law continued, looking frantically towards the down curve of the sea floor. He ventured towards that area, reaching out to scratch through thick beds of waving kelp, fish scurrying away with panicked flutters. "She did something that might be as nefarious as what she'd suggested to me. I need to know what she promised him – I need to make sure it's not something…utterly terrible."

Penguin whipped around to look at him. "Like…fall in love?"

"Yes!"

"Because that would be terrible. You guys can't have kids."

Law turned to look at him venomously, Penguin noticing the look. "Or, you can adopt," Penguin assured him, flippers up in a passive gesture. "I can lend you one of mine, if I ever get the opportunity to have any…"

But the trio couldn't find the woman, and night had fallen before they knew it. Worried about the consequences of their sudden communication, Law watched the human from a distance, mesmerized by the sight of that orange light he'd questioned. The stars reflected ever so slightly on the gentle waves – the sky was brilliant with sparkling stars, the moon a half crescent to the left. The storm clouds still took up a majority of the sky, still swirling and gathering against the horizon. Occasionally, lightening flickered against the dark black and grey.

As a result of the unsettled night sky, the bright light near Sanji's feet seemed to light up the entire island.

 _Fire_ , Law thought wondrously, squinting against the water that dripped from his hair. He thinned his mouth to blow bubbles against the surface of the gentle waves that crawled up the beach. The human was doing something with the fire, and Law needed a closer look. An acrid smell hit him, caused him to continue moving with half of his face submerged. It stung his nostrils, coated his skin with something thick and uncomfortable. The human whistled as he watched the fire dance and wave over something he held over it. Law had desperate questions. His curiosity sang at him, prompted him closer. Despite his attitude, he just _wanted to know_.

He must've made too much noise – the human looked right at him. He sent Law a friendly smile. "Back again, huh? Did you smell my dinner?"

Law scowled at his friendly tone as he sank lower into the water – just enough to breathe comfortably. The human rose from his sitting position, carrying something he pulled up from the fire with him as he waded into the water. He had pulled his jacket on, fully buttoned and unrolled, the white of his shirt dingy as the sand.

"Oh, that is cold," Law heard him mumble, dancing from foot to foot and easing in much slower. But he held the thing in his hands and then offered it in Law's direction. "Here. Take a bite."

"What is it?" Law asked suspiciously, lifting his head to glare down at the distorted blob that continued to billow a strange mist around it. His vision was horrible outside of the water. He coughed as his gills and throat dried just from being near it.

"It's the fish your furry fishy buddy brought, earlier. I cooked it."

Law looked at him, then at the blob on the stick. "It is _fish_?"

"Yes. Cooked by fire."

"…What is 'cooked'?"

"It's…it's uh…when fire – well," Sanji trialed off, looking bewildered. He twisted the stick he had in hand, which he'd speared half of the fish onto. He did such a terrible job. He needed a knife. He'd made do with a sharp rock. Most of the meat was missing, most of it just shreds and crisp skin, but it was enough for him to eat. He'd get better at it with more practice. But he thought about fire, exhaling heavily enough to have his cheeks billow. When explaining something that he already had knowledge of to someone that didn't know the very basic concept, he suddenly fumbled.

"Fire is…immense light and heat," he explained clumsily. "And it's capable of cooking raw food into something delicious. Capable of destroying ships. Lighting a cigarette."

He held a piece out to Law. "Try it. A nibble."

Law looked cautiously at it, not moving. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. Sanji regarded that expression with consideration, then began eating the piece for himself. "Mmf. Needs seasoning, but it'll do the trick."

"Why do you have to cook it?"

"Well, us humans can't eat many raw things. We'll die."

Law gave him a bewildered look.

Sanji shrugged, picking more pieces from the stick. "Here. Just a nibble."

Law eyed the piece of meat Sanji held out between his fingers, then decided to ease his curiosity. He reached out to take it, sitting himself comfortably against the sand while he examined it with a terse expression and wet fingers. Sanji watched him, marveling at the sight of Law's webbing and the detail of color in his nimble, slender hands.

 _Not even ugly_ , he thought with wonder. _Not slender to be considered womanly, but…almost graceful_.

Law tentatively licked the piece of fish, then coughed, tossing it aside. Sanji snatched it out of the water, inserting it into his mouth with a scoff. "Can't waste food," Sanji told him sternly. "It's difficult to tell when I'd get the chance to eat again."

"I and my friends can occasionally provide you with food," Law said skeptically. "Fire. Why was your ship on fire?"

Sanji sighed noisily, shivering briefly as he stood in the water, picking meat from bones and stick. "Ships are made of various material. Wood, steel, iron, hopes and dreams – man has perfected these things over the years, but sometimes there are ships that are still constructed with old ideas and outdated material. The Orbit was one of these ships. In the kitchen, where I worked, a new guy made a mistake. And that mistake ate up every mistake left behind."

"You're the only survivor."

"You know this for sure?" Sanji asked him skeptically, smearing pieces of fish into his mouth as bones became difficult to pick.

"So far. I didn't know humans could swim."

"It's a new concept. My life jacket helped."

"…Life jacket?"

"The thing I wore that kept me afloat."

"How?"

"It's made of certain material that allows it to float – the material of the jacket prevents it from becoming water logged, and the moment it's water logged, the jacket doesn't work."

"And these?" Law asked, examining the sight of Sanji's waterlogged pants. He tugged on the torn material. "This prevents you from drowning?"

"Take a breath. You look like this fish."

Law reluctantly did so, then waited for Sanji to answer.

"Clothes are required for us civilized people," Sanji said.

"Why?"

"Well," Sanji said slowly, nervous as he struggled with an answer, "I mean, if you're civilized, you follow certain expectations and rules. It's a certain decorum amongst us humans, an understanding that we remain modest and proper."

"'Civilized'?"

 _I'm going to dig myself into a hole with this guy_ , Sanji thought to himself with some trouble. "It's a concept that those who are…well, we just wear clothes. It protects us from the elements, protects the ladies from fainting, uh…protects from spills that may stain or irritate the skin."

"What is 'fainting'? Why would ladies faint?"

Clearing his throat, Sanji shifted from foot to foot. "I suppose you just have to wear them yourself to know. But a man's naked body is…uh…too intense for a woman to view outside of her marriage bed. They feel…hmm….threatened?"

"I'd feel ensnared," Law uttered with doubt, looking at his jacket, shirt and vest. "There are very many layers – how do you move in them?"

"A gentleman wears layers to appear presentable. Most of our clothing is…a statement as to who we are. This is my work uniform for the evening hours. Every layer provides a basic function. Under layers, outer layers…underwear for modesty, outerwear for presentation and title."

Law sighed, hands shifting underwear to search for anything edible. He disappeared moments later, Sanji crinkling his brow with confusion as he wondered how to explain things he knew as instinct to someone that just didn't know. Then, as he looked to the night sky, he thought it was incredible that he was in this place at all. Minutes later, Law reappeared with a lobster in hand, the crustacean screaming with curses and furious challenges as claws snapped in the air. Sanji stared with horror – it was different hearing these things compared to when he didn't. After all, he boiled them alive without a second thought to the matter. Law sat on an outcropping of rocks, long tail gleaming under both fire light and the moon.

 _Such a beautiful creature,_ Sanji thought helplessly, turning away to compose himself. He braced a hand to his chest. _What are_ you _skipping beats for_?

He heard the snap, crack and agonized scream that fell short, whipping around to see Law eating exposed meat raw. His cheeks rounded with the action, and when he chewed, pieces of shell and juice spotted his face. Sanji felt sick, hand moving to his stomach as his skin broke out into chills.

"Everything you say draws up new things for me to think of," Law accused him with his mouth working from side to side.

"Please don't speak with your mouth full…"

"According to your values, I am not this 'civilized' you speak of. Therefore, why should I listen to what you request?"

Sanji rubbed his chest as Law decimated the lobster, breaking and chewing until the meat was gone, and pieces of the crustacean fell onto the water around him – brilliant against the dark.

"You got me there," he admitted as Law licked his fingers, and the action caught Sanji's attention. He hurriedly averted his view, horrified at his reaction. _A guy, a guy, a guy!_ His mind screamed impatiently at him. "Different worlds, my friend. Different worlds mean different rules."

Law disappeared from his view, water churning around the rocks he'd placed himself. Sanji nervously played with his jacket, then tucked his hands underneath his armpits as he continued to remain cold. He shivered, the water causing his pants to cling to his leg.

"Who is this 'Ivankov'?" He then asked when Law reappeared, handfuls of kelp in hand. He chewed upon them with a solid scowl.

"A sea witch," he muttered bitterly, "that offered me a solution, then went around it when I refused. Unfortunately, she disappeared."

Sanji's eyes jetted in various directions as panic started to warm him. "What kind of…what solution?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters is what _you_ agreed to."

"I didn't agree to anything. I didn't speak with this creature. This…guy."

"Woman."

"No, this was plainly a guy, with a dick this big."

"I didn't see it. Therefore, it is a woman. She presented herself as a woman – "

"There," Sanji said suddenly interrupting Law with a point of his finger. "Women. W and O is an addition to the word, man, as God created woman for man as company. For you to differentiate and use that particular word for your females, suggest we have ties together as fellow Godly made creatures of this world."

"God?"

"The man in the sky. I'm only religious when I need to be, but at this time, I think it's important for me to remember why I believe in Him."

Law looked up at the sky with a skeptical expression, uncertain if he'd ever heard of a man living up there. As the storm clouds began to tentatively cover the stars, he wondered if they lived beyond the shifting cover. _How_? He thought, unable to imagine more humans living up in a constantly shifting world.

Sanji saw his expression, and chuckled. "It's a deity, something we don't see, but something that made the world according to the bible."

"Man made the world?" Law asked skeptically. "ridiculous. Man is capable of creating things like fire and ships and clothes, but as for the world? That is something beyond anyone's hands."

"No, god is…God is the air, the land, the trees – it's our rules, it's our…reason for being. We're alive because He made us."

"Then why are you monsters to us?"

Sanji realized he was going to talk himself into a corner he couldn't escape. He'd questioned his weekly church visits, questioned why he had to confess to all his sins when ordered - he'd questioned why people had to have faith when it wasn't exactly proven that miracles were miracles when he himself hadn't experienced a miracle that gave him concrete evidence of God's will. People had bad luck because they made bad choices; acts of nature were seen as God's will, but why only affect certain people when they'd done everything right?

He thinned his lips. He craved a cigarette, but he had to conserve.

"Why kill us?' Law pressed when Sanji didn't answer.

"No, no, no, it's the other way around," Sanji denied. "Mermaids – mermen – were fairy tales. Folk tales from sailors that have been at sea for way too long. And mermaids, sirens, drew men to their doom for being unable to resist temptation."

Law narrowed his eyes. "Because you kill us."

"Fairy tales mean grandiose lies. Stories."

"Stories based on truth."

Sanji had to agree, shrugging his shoulders. "But that is what we know. As for killing you, I don't…I've never heard of that one. There isn't evidence."

When Law returned from the water, he was closer. Sanji wondered where his friends were.

"And drawing you into temptation," Law asked slowly, "explain that."

Sanji grew nervous once more. "Well, mermaids are supposed to be incredibly beautiful women. And sailors are often at sea for long periods of time without being able to, uh…find relief."

Law scoffed. "Why is it every creature is convinced that they have to be attracted to another creature?"

"That is very silly if you don't have – I mean, surely you're attracted to your own kind. And," Sanji persisted when Law rolled his eyes, "man is drawn to beautiful things, to beautiful women. It's instinct, it's instinct to fall in love and to pursue love."

"I don't suppose you're that type as well," Law said with a bored droll, hairy chin on palm as he rested against the shallow part of the shore, water pushing against him gently as he laid on his side. "Pursuing families, wanting children. My companions are obsessed."

"It's natural! You yourself are…" Sanji sputtered, unable to draw strength to admit what he only thought, "I mean, you can land yourself a pretty lady without trying."

"Life and nature," Law said the word sarcastically, "are lies other people speak of for their own comforts. Love? Procreation is necessary for life, but as for attraction – what matters is what you can give to your progeny to survive. As such, I feel no desire to create a line of my own with someone who can offer me advantages to do so. I'm surprised humans feel the same way, considering the stories I've collected regarding your lifestyles…"

Sanji crouched by his head, wearing a worried look. "Who hurt you, sir? Does your kind play the rounds as well? Because those are the words of a man that has loved and felt hurt when it didn't go your way. Happens to me all the time."

Law pushed away from him with a scowl, Sanji amused by his angry expression. When he disappeared into the deep, Sanji continued to wear a smile. He straightened to stand, shivering as he once against tucked his hands into his armpits. His legs were freezing.

"All I'm hearing," he heard from his right, looking over to see Law pulling himself up to sit on the outcropping once more, "is a slightly different version of life that mirrors the one where I come from. All beings crave rules and companionship, but not necessarily love…"

"I mean, you're hanging around with a sea witch and some animals," Sanji pointed out, moving his way. "So you're not roaming this life alone."

"I'm on my own when those two are finished chasing their migratory paths up and down this route."

"That must cause too many thoughts," Sanji murmured. "Loneliness is a terrible thing to live with. Everyone craves some type of companionship. This is why you're so angry."

"I don't need a companion," Law stressed angrily. "All they do is leave you."

Sanji studied his expression, noticing the bitterness around the tightly held mouth and the scowling eyes. He ended up sitting next to the being, whose tale glimmered like oil when certain curves and fins cupped water from the constantly moving surface.

He nudged him with an elbow. "Tell me all about her, my friend. I've got some stories that'll sound the same, surely. It'll make you feel better to know you aren't the only one out there that's experienced some heart ache."

"It wasn't a her - !"

"Oh, well, um, it isn't that unusual to know of male companions, either, as some sailors often turn to each other for, uh, companionship similar to a marriage – "

"It isn't anything like that. I mean, in life. Families, friends, companions - ! Nothing of it is romantic in a sense, but…humans are the cause of most of it."

"True," Sanji agreed with him. "We're killing each other, too."

"Why?"

"Territory disputes? Mainly. Plagues. Ownership. Casual manly boasts of will and power…"

Law thought about this glumly, then nodded. Sanji watched as his skin, slick and wet, began to dry as he remained exposed. His gills seemed to mold against his neck and shoulders, his hair lightly fluff. Sanji had to shake his head.

"Doesn't that hurt you?" He asked with bewilderment, lightly touching Law's shoulder. It felt as if he were touching a fish. Law jerked his shoulder out of his poking. "Drying up like this?"

Law looked at him, his eyes incredibly uncomfortable and his throat dry. It did hurt. But his questions and his curiosity persisted. When he looked at the human, he didn't register any threat or fear from him. He didn't feel like he should be on guard – why should he? Humans were clumsy and stupid and yet…this one spoke of the same things in the same field as Law knew.

And in the moonlight, the human had such blue eyes. And his coloring was so plain and so unlike his that Law couldn't help but look at him; memorizing every aspect of it. How light the human's eyelashes were, how unusual his eyebrows curled, the twitch of his mouth as he smiled or said something ruefully. Law stared and stared because he was talking to a human that spoke to him right back. He wanted to take in absolutely everything, but his need to breathe and the lack of time to have everything answered to his desire seemed to encourage a lack of defense.

In a way, the human was amazing to observe up close. Because his skin was like the color of sand from a certain sea, because his eyes glinted so lightly in both night and day – because his ears were swirls of formation that was feathered with hair that glinted with the sun. His hands, Law noticed, were long fingered and scarred. There were tiny bands of white against his fingers, with some red, long scarred over bubbling near the left wrist. _Battle scarred_ , Law wanted to think, unable to imagine what humans did to win 'territory disputes'. Humans didn't seem capable of natural defenses like his.

"Ivankov allowed you to speak for a reason," he muttered, "but not to my benefit. Something happened that I have to fix. Finding her to find out exactly what will be difficult."

Sanji waited for him to return as Law slipped into the water, taking a few moments to recoup underwater. _Where is my survival instinct_? Law wondered, his vision adjusting to the heavy darkness underwater. The world changed at night – most creatures were steadily taking shelter from the creatures that roamed the darkness, and while those rules usually didn't apply to him, it seemed like a worldly concept.

 _I know humans are stupid and clumsy_ , he thought, _because I saw this for myself. But the world warned me that they were dangerous. And yet, so close to one, I don't feel any danger at all. In fact, I'm frustrated that I keep leaving a conversation to breathe._

 _If creatures like us were meant to interact_ , Law then thought, turning to find Sanji still sitting where Law had left him, _then it'd be without limitations. With limitations, is our contact to be limited within rules…_

It occurred to him that Ivankov had mentioned breaking rules.

 _But at whose entertainment?_ Law thought with frustration. _Mine, or hers?_

"Did you go looking for this Ivankov?" He heard Sanji speak out over the water, obviously looking for him. From the sight of his human expression, Law knew that the human couldn't see him. He drifted closer, but those blue eyes swept this way and that, missing him every time. From the position Law had taken, he could gaze up through the water to observe the human without being distracted.

"Sometimes," he heard the human say, "some pray for something good to happen, for good fortune if they want something badly enough, so do you have that sort of higher power, too? You ask me things that I find difficult answering because I know them already – but it's obvious you're starved for an answer. This was something you wanted, um…Law. That's what that fluffy fish called you, right? Law?"

The human then chuckled. "Ironic. Your name is ironic."

"What is yours?" Law then asked, breaking the surface and startling him as Sanji turned his way.

"Mr Sanji Blackleg, at your service!"

Law furrowed his brow. "What does it mean?"

For a moment, Sanji's expression faltered, but he hugged himself against the cold as Law drifted closer. "Well…I'm a third son, and my last name is a representation of another's that I admire."

"Three names are sufficient? You are called three names?"

"'Mr.' is just an honorific, identifying me as male. Most of us are identified by, uh two names, as belonging and identifying with and as a family."

Law scrunched up his face, arms resting upon the outcropping of rocks. He wore such a bewildered expression that Sanji laughed, Law looking at him with alarm. When he looked, the human wore such a lighthearted expression that it made Law's insides pause. It was such a foreign feeling. It made him jolt, wondering what feeling that was. But when he looked at the human again, there was something about that humorous face that made Law stare. His vision was blurry and distorted, but the human's expression, the sound of his laugh, made Law's mind fizzle.

"It sounds weird, yes, but I assure you, it's very common to have as many as, say, three or four names."

"So what do I call you? Shit?"

Sanji laughed again.

 _There it was_ , Law thought with a mystified yet frozen stare, _that weird feeling again_. The sound of Sanji's laughter caused Law's chest to ache ever so slightly, and yet produce a yearning to hear it again.

"That's _Mr_. Shit to you! But, for short, just call me Sanji."

" 'Mr.' is an honorific? So…Mr Sanji."

"No, you'd combine it with the last name, as 'Mr.' is an abbreviation of 'master'. As in, head of household, or…since it's just me on my own, I'm head of myself. So, if you would like to be polite, I'd beg you to address me as Mr. Blackleg."

Law stared at him with absolute disgust. "How stupid."

"Mr. Law, Mr Fluffy Fish, Mr Orca. All of you are singles, so…head of your own domain."

"Or just a singular name for a singular person! Who can remember all that?"

Sanji chuckled. "I know, it gets confusing, but that is civilization."

Law contemplated this with a scrunch of his face. He ducked his head and then returned, wiping his face with one palm. "Humans are stupid."

"And so are mermen. What do you do, besides badmouthing love and waiting for friends on migratory courses?"

"I…remain to myself, I listen to the sounds of the sea. I watch ships pass by, and avoid humans, as we are all supposed to. To remain unkilled."

"I don't know of any tale where we've killed mermen," Sanji said skeptically. "I think you guys created that tale out of caution to stay away from us hooligans while we created tales to keep our dicks to ourselves when presented with temptation."

"Why give your dicks away?" Law asked, wearing such a confused expression that Sanji laughed again. "To change sex based on the availability of mates? This is what Penguin said of Ivankov."

Sanji furrowed his brow, shifting uncomfortably. _Is that what I saw_? He thought with panic. "No, it's…that was an expression. You…your kind changes sex…?"

"Many creatures do."

"Do you?"

"I have been a male most of my life," Law stated, "but I had no idea humans did such as well."

"We don't," Sanji assured him, amused by the subject. It wasn't anything he would have spoken of to another man; these things weren't spoken of. But the knowledge that women adapted as a man and a man dressed as a woman were things he knew of. Same sex things he was aware of, but something he wasn't quite knowledgeable of. It just wasn't spoken of. He'd seen affection between men as one that worked on ships, but was taught to look away; taught that love was shared between a man and a woman only.

But was this something he could say to a creature?

 _Not a creature, because it speaks intelligently and is capable of feelings similar to I_ , he corrected himself.

He yawned, and caught it with a palm. Looking towards the shore, he saw that his fire had died down to embers. He pushed himself from the rocks. "It's time for me to get some rest. Put some wood on the fire. I don't know how I didn't freeze to death out there."

Law reluctantly watched him leave. He had to return to water, his skin uncomfortably stiff and his throat and tongue dry – he thought he could die if he kept conversing with the human. It was uncomfortable to acknowledge how much he wanted to keep talking.

"I ain't going anywhere," he heard Sanji say as he waded towards the shore. "So we'll continue where we left off. I might not know much, but I'll do my best to answer your questions. I can see you're burning with them."

Law didn't reply, but he nodded. He watched the human add more wood to the pile he had burning, and watched him settle against some tree roots, adjusting his jacket to cover him from the front.

 _This is not answering anything_ , Law then thought with frustration. _Because I have more questions._

The image of Corazon hit him, and the merman was shaking his head in response to something Law didn't remember asking. 'There is no point wanting to know, Law," Corazon had insisted impatiently. 'Because you'll never have the chance to ask!'

: :

"Tell me about your world," Sanji asked of him the next mid-morning. Law watched him pull and yank apart a fish with a sharp rock – skin shredding, innards removed. Penguin hastily took these things, eating hungrily as he veered away from the human that stood waist deep in water to perform his job. "How do your people live? In colonies? What sort of houses do you use? What type of hierarchy are you following? Man's words? Or women's?"

"We live in caves, or below coral shelves," Law answered, submerging to take a breath. Sanji had removed most of his clothing, but kept on a pair of odd looking cloth that covered most of his hips. Law had many questions, so many burning at his throat, but they kept piling over like falling rocks.

Sanji's skin and torso was similar to his, but much more slender. He had the same muscle groups, but smaller. When his arms moved, biceps bunched and flexed, his shoulders twitched with a hint of strength, but he was skinnier. Like some underfed fish. And his skin seemed to glow with the mixture of water and sun, delicately turning color the longer he lingered off the land. His legs were so long and skinny, but they were grouped with muscles that Law couldn't understand – it was his first time seeing _legs_. When he looked at them from an angle, they sparkled with hairs that were as similar colored as his head hair – and as they spoke, Law noticed that his face was building with hairs similar to Law's own.

"You have absolutely no defense coloring," Law commented with disgust, shaking his head as Sanji's feet caused sand to mist around them. "Standing straight out so predators could see you."

"Well, what are you hiding from? And quit looking at me so closely!" Sanji snapped at him self-consciously. "It's making me nervous. Making me think you're sizing me up to eat."

"Sharks. Other merfolk."

"…Sharks?"

"Megalodons, mostly. When we're deep enough. Squid that are bigger than the island."

Sanji paused in mid-carve, looking at him with his eyes wide. "Prehistoric things…? Things that are supposed to be dead?"

"What is - ?"

"Dinosaurs. Huge, massive creatures that are supposed to be extinct! Those mega sharks you speak of?"

"They're alive and well," Law answered skeptically. "They prefer the deep, dark pits of the floor. Which you can't see from here."

Sanji decided to believe him and couldn't help but shudder. "Tales based on truth..."

"We also hide from humans. Bottom scum that you are…"

Sanji bit his lip with amusement as he caught the glare tossed his way. "That's to be expected. And to answer your question from earlier, of course we don't color the same. We've only got ourselves as predators. Nothing that huge on land to count as a…natural predator. Well, maybe tigers…wolves…"

"What are - ?"

"Four legged land creatures with big teeth. Except one is a cat, the other is a dog."

Law wore such a confused expression that Sanji just chuckled. He did a better job of dressing the fish than he had the day before. He ended up holding the fish high overhead as Penguin launched himself at it. "Fool! This took me all day to do with this damn rock!"

"I'm just practicing for the day when I get to eat you!" Penguin snarled, speeding away from him.

Sanji wiped his face with his forearm, sighing. He then looked to Law with a bright look, Law wincing involuntarily under the sight of it. "Hey, I see you groom regularly. What do you use to cut your hair so neatly?"

"I use black rocks gathered or sold by merfolk vendors that are willing to trade," Law answered. "They're almost see-through – "

"Oh. Lava rocks."

"I supposed humans have a name for something that belongs to the sea floor."

"Do you also use a mirror?"

"I have one I found in sea wreckage, yes."

"If I'm rescued, and there happens to be a lady onboard, I'd like to be as presentable as possible."

Law gave him an uncertain look. "But you – "

"This island," Sanji continued, uncomfortable with the long look the merman was giving to his body, "is basically new. These birds arrived from somewhere, a larger land mass. Do you have any idea where that could be?"

"I didn't even know this one was here," Law muttered, narrowing his eyes. "And how do you suppose you'll arrive at the other island? You expect my friends to accompany you there?"

"Am I your prisoner?"

"We don't keep prisoners. We eat them."

Sanji shrugged, trying to hide a smile. In that moment, Law's tone had dripped with ice – but the way he averted his gaze suggested he was feeling childish. Sanji supposed the merman would be reluctant to part with him, considering how hungry he was with his questioning. He marveled over the way Law remained surfaced for long periods of time; incredible how he could speak, allow himself to dry under the sun, disregard comfort to ask Sanji various things that Sanji never thought of before, but had the answers, for.

"I don't mind staying," Sanji said slowly, ripping a vein from the brilliant pink muscle. "But I lack basic necessities, here."

"Are people…do you have companions?"

"I have friends. Friends who will miss me," Sanji admitted. "And more than likely, they are just now learning that the Orbit won't make it to port. Our journey was scheduled to be two weeks long. There were distress calls made before it sank, but I don't think anyone responded."

Law opened his mouth to ask a question, but there were so many things within that statement that demanded attention that he wasn't sure where to start. Sanji made his way to the beach, and Law waited for him to return with a frustrated expression. He watched Sanji stuff a pointed stick up into the remaining sections of fish, carefully positioning it over a smaller fire than last night's. The smell returned, and it caused Law to submerge half his head to avoid it.

Sanji returned to the water, enjoying the swim. The day was bright and earnest, clouds shadowing the horizons, but the breeze and humidity was just enough for him to enjoy the dip. Law watched him as Penguin and Shachi shouted and chased after each other further in the deep, seagulls screaming at them from above. Sanji treaded the water, unable to touch the ground, and Law followed him like a shadow. He ducked underwater to see Sanji's feet kicking, the waving motion of his legs as they moved separately rather than together. He couldn't imagine feet and legs of his own.

"You are a clumsy creature," Law stated once he broke the surface. Sanji gave him a puzzled look. "Your legs don't look strong at all. How are you swimming in such a fashion?"

"It's almost like running," Sanji said lightly. "Except I'm kicking at the water to move about. How are you swimming?"

"Obviously, I'm built to swim. You aren't."

"Now, what was your question?" Sanji then asked, ignoring Law's petulant statement and feeling the temperature change the further he moved from shallow waters.

Law realized he couldn't remember. All he was focused on was the human swimming with him, easily treading the waters while he swept around him. The human was fascinating in Law's eyes, as this one didn't flail clumsily and drown while clawing at the surface, and certainly seemed as relax as he was while moving about in waters he couldn't possibly survive on his own. There was something light about Sanji's relaxed expression, the way he seemed to smile as he kicked lightly, turning his chest towards the sun. His flesh was so different from Law's, but the muscles were almost so similar. Whereas Law was tan and white, his hair blue-black, Sanji was gold and white, with flashes of pinker flesh that seemed delicate.

"A shark will mistake you for a seal," he warned. "With such bright skin…"

"Are all of you like you?" Sanji asked him, aware of Law's eyes on him. He felt so uncomfortable, so exposed – but he supposed it was similar to how Law must feel with Sanji watching him. "Colored to fit in with your environment?"

"Yes."

"Beautiful," Sanji commented with some awe, imagining beings in brilliant and dark colors, lurking in the deep beneath his feet. "I mean, compared to me, I'm practically one color."

"Are you not scared to be so exposed?"

"No. I've learned that animals aren't aggressive – they're curious. Unlike your fluffy fish over there. If a shark _did_ do some investigating, it'll warn me with a bump, to see how I react. A jellyfish will sting because that's its nature to do so, enemy or not – "

Law froze.

" – but humans," Sanji stressed, turning vertical to look at him, "depending on the situation, will either attempt to rescue me, or use my vulnerability to their advantage. Frankly, I don't trust very many myself."

Law watched him tread, reaching up to brush his own hair from his face. He ducked underneath the water, settling the rapid pulse of his heart. In that moment, he heard Corazon lecturing him, and Law wasn't sure how to continue holding his expression. He returned to the surface, noticing Sanji's concerned expression.

"You're upset," Sanji stated, lifting a curled brow. "What did I say? Was I wrong?"

"No," Law admitted low. Sanji watched him, the sound of animals muffled in the distance and the sound of water crashing against the shore. They watched each other, thinking their own thoughts and lost in their own uncertainties.

 _Every time I look at him_ , Sanji thought, _I find something else to be amazed over_.

 _His eyes are kind_ , Law thought with realization. Realizing this, Law found his vision expanding to include the rest of Sanji's expression. Every time he looked at Law, it wasn't with the type of reaction Law was expecting – something cruel and twisted, calculating and cautious. No, every time Sanji looked at him, it was something light and new. Something different. But his blue eyes were kind every time they locked onto his.

After a few moments, Sanji ducked underwater to view what he could from there, and Law followed. His vision lost that blurry distortion, and sharpened to allow him to see more details. When Sanji turned his head to look at him, he smiled, air bubbles flitting to the surface from his spreading lips, and Law was certain of his earlier awareness.

_His eyes are kind._

After a few moments, Sanji reached out to him, using Law's shoulder to pull him further from the surface. He pointed down, and it took Law some effort to stop looking at him. When he realized Sanji was indicating for him to take him there, he gave him a bewildered look.

"It's too deep," he stated, Sanji's eyes widening as the clarity of his words continued undisturbed by the water's interference. "You won't hold your breath for that long."

After a few moments of blinking lashes that Law could see from this depth, Sanji furrowed his brow. "You won't know unless we try," he stated, and both of them were jolted by this. Sanji shot to the surface, inhaling air before releasing a startled shout. Law followed, watching as Sanji pushed himself back underwater, pushing at the surface to do so. "I can talk."

"You can talk," Law stated with surprise.

"I can talk," Sanji repeated with complete bewilderment. He reached out to grab hold of Law once more, steadying himself in the water. "And I can hear you. Clearly."

Law wasn't certain if he should touch the human, but his hand reached up to clasp around the firm, smooth wrist that grasped his shoulder. Sanji's skin felt so dry and warm compared to his – he could feel the hairs that caused his forearm to sparkle, Sanji watching him with a sort of bewildered expression of his own. The difference between them both was outrageously startling, both of them unsure of what the other should feel like. In that moment, Sanji dared to touch Law's face, his fingertips oddly rough against Law's cheek. It shot through Law like a spark, allowing the touch due to the strange sensation of it.

"Your face," Sanji trailed off awkwardly, caught up in the moment, "is sharp."

"What is it supposed to feel like?" Law asked, suddenly self-conscious as he adjusted his grip on Sanji's wrist.

"…I don't know. I just…your tail feels like a fish, but your face…it's a different sort of sharp. Like your facial bones are…fragile. But that cannot be, the way you hold yourself against the storm."

Law managed to find the courage to return the gesture, his fingers reaching up to touch Sanji's face and finding it a little softer than the flesh of his wrist. It was pebbled with stubble at his jawline, causing Law's brow to furrow with curiosity. His eyes followed the invisible trail his fingers made as he traced Sanji's cheekbones to his jawline. Sanji watched him with awe; his vision was blurry underwater, but he could see Law's confusion on his features. Both of them were fully aware of each other, aware that they were alone, and the world they were under was brand new and interesting.

"You're so dry," Law stated, puzzled. "Your bones are hard."

"That's what a man is supposed to feel like," Sanji returned with a drawing smile.

Then he realized what he said. He pushed away from the merman, kicking towards the surface while Law watched him. Once he broke the surface, inhaling deeply of air that filled his clenched lungs, Sanji swiped his hair from his face. His heart was racing a million miles per hour, his blood racing with heat. Anxiety raced through him, caused his stomach to form a hard weight. Law's head popped up near him, tilted with a puzzled look.

"Your heart is racing," he stated, surprising Sanji with the comment, "is that fear?"

Sanji watched him with drawing fear and terror. The world they'd been enveloped in was gone, and he was aware of what he'd felt, aware of what he'd thought and what he was doing. His fingers were tingling where he'd touched Law, and his face burnt with the fishman's own touch. There was a moment where Sanji had thought this contact was welcome, but now that he had air in his lungs and his thoughts were collected, he felt wrong. But how was this creature to know his feelings?

He swallowed hard, wiping the contact of Law's skin from his fingers by brushing them against his own cold thighs. "Yes," he answered truthfully.

Law's expression turned suspicious, putting distance between them. Sanji regretted the reaction – he didn't understand what he was feeling, why he was feeling, but he knew that this wasn't something he wanted. He thought that Law wouldn't understand, but he wanted to try.

"I've… odd feelings," Sanji said low, lightly treading as the water was calm and peaceful, and he didn't have to fight to stay afloat. "Feelings…that what I am doing is…is wrong."

"What is wrong?"

Because it was said with absolute confusion, Sanji felt it was safe to continue. He swallowed again before speaking. "We are different creatures from different worlds, Law."

Law was amazed at the feeling that swept through him when Sanji said his name. Caused him discomfort, unsure of why he felt that way. Whenever someone said his name, he didn't experience this odd sensation in his gut; this ringing in his ears. This strange warmth that wanted to hear it again. Nothing comparable to when Corazon had said it, or his long dead family. It was nothing he felt when Shachi, Penguin or Ivankov said it. It caused strange warmth throughout his stomach and chest; caused an odd dizziness in his head.

"And perhaps…being both male," Sanji reiterated, "perhaps it isn't right to be…curious."

"It's wrong to be curious?"

"Maybe it's just me, how I was raised. But I was raised…to reject…curiosity in another male."

"But we're not the same. And the differences…what is wrong with discovering something new and different when it has caught our eye? I am merfolk – you are human. What is wrong with being curious?"

Sanji chewed on the inside of his cheek. He needed a cigarette. And maybe another human voice to remind him why he felt the way he did. Because when it was just the two of them, he seemed to conveniently forget what he was raised to know. In this moment, it was just the pair of them – but wasn't it a sin to look at a complete non-human in such a human way? Certainly, the feelings he had was a sin.

 _Maybe I am confusing myself,_ he thought with a low exhale. _A combination of being stranded, possibly being the only survivor…what if I am never found?_

At that thought, he smiled grimly. "You're right," he said slowly. "There is nothing wrong with being curious."

"But you're afraid."

"I'm more afraid of my feelings, Law," Sanji said gently. Law gave him a confused look as they continued to tread around each other, Sanji balancing himself delicately while Law's powerful body churned the water around them.

Brushing water from his face, Sanji added, "I am fascinated by you, but I might be interpreting it differently from…what should be appropriate."

"What's inappropriate about your curiosity?"

"You are…whispering the devil's curiosity," Sanji had to laugh. "But it all makes sense. There's nothing wrong with our curiosity, but…admittedly, maybe I'm thinking too much into it. After all, I am something you've never experienced, and I am a man who is…much too aware of what I was taught."

"I was taught to avoid humans," Law stated. "And yet here I am, with more questions than I ever had before while you're answering them."

Sanji exhaled heavily. "True…same, same…but I…"

Law reached out to touch his collarbone, which was so straight and pointy, cradling water within the dip. Sanji caught his hand, clutched it firmly while Law looked at him with a frown.

"Touching another man's body is forbidden, unless it's to exert force with the intent of pain," Sanji said firmly.

"Those are man's rules."

"Would you touch the sharkman's in the same way?"

" _Ew_."

Sanji laughed, but he didn't release his hand, nor did Law think to remove his hand from Sanji's grasp. Instead, he thought it was warm and strong – not as strong as being touched by another merfolk, but…warm. And it made his skin tingle that odd tingle again, caused another dip in his stomach. Both of them stared at each other, aware of a strange tension between them. He could hear Sanji's heart racing, and it suddenly occurred to him that his was racing just as fast. The wind rustled the trees on the island, and birds gossiped noisily from within them. Seagulls crackled in the distance, relaying old stories to each other and laughing about their friends' mishaps. Thunder rumbled far away from them, lightening striking the water. Sanji wanted to excuse the tension as an influx of electricity caused by the storm, but he knew in his heart that it wasn't that.

After a nervous draw of breath, he said in a near whisper, "Maybe you didn't find a companion in someone from your species because you were drawn to something else."

Puzzled, Law processed that statement. Sanji pulled him under water, using the merman's weight to steady himself. As he felt his skin absorb and relax, Law blinked his dry eyes to comfort, drawing in breath he hadn't realized he'd missed in that period of time out of water. But he held steady onto Sanji, his palm and fingers drawing over the human's skin once more. Sanji shivered under the water, but it wasn't the temperature of the water that caused the shive. His body was definitely reacting to this closeness. With discomfort, he rode out the instinct to pull away.

 _How could this be wrong_? He wondered with vague panic. _How could this be wrong_?

Law took in Sanji's troubled features, but he noticed that Sanji made steady eye contact with him. His grasp was strong, and even as Law heard his heart beating fast, heard the kick of his feet as he steadied himself under the water, Sanji continued to face him without putting distance between them. Law was slowly aware of the tension once more, the intermingling warmth and cold of their bodies near each other.

 _Oh_ , he suddenly realized Sanji's words. _Oh_.

Before he could do anything, Penguin swept over them, whirling and ducking to insert himself between them. He asked Law, "When you're done with this romantical underwater dancing, we should definitely go look for some grub. Shachi hears tuna fleeing from some sharks over that way."

As if alit by flame, both human and merman pushed away. Penguin looked confused as Sanji shot to the surface and Law lingered closer to the floor. But he also noticed how Law's skin darkened, as if reflexively hiding him from incoming danger.

"My fucking fish is burning!" Penguin heard Sanji cry out with dismay, swimming back towards shore.

He hurried over to Law, Shachi singing noisily in the distance. Something yelled at the killer whale to "shut up!"

"Hey, hope I didn't ruin the mood," Penguin said with a fretting wave of his flippers, "but I just wanted to see if you were hungry with us. We gotta hunt, y'know…and the human isn't going anywhere, we haven't heard any ships since we got here."

"Penguin," Law muttered, fins fluttering with his movements as he searched unnecessarily through the rocky bed that misted ever so slightly with the moving current, "I am famished. I should go hunting."

"That's the spirit! But…why the tone?"

" _WHAT_. TONE?"

"That one. Like I interrupted something."

"You interrupted nothing!"

"Feels like I did," Penguin muttered as Law quickly swam off, Shachi yelling back at the sea creature that found his singing offensive.


	4. Chapter 4

**Shadow: 4**

* * *

Confounded by dangerous new feelings, Law continued his search for Ivankov. With the help of Penguin and Shachi, they swam back to the point where she was found. Upon reaching the underwater crevices and cliff side that dropped down into the deep, Law began searching the floor for any sign of her presence. Animals with eyes as gloomy as the grey skies clumsily bumped into him and darted away. Penguin remained at the surface while Shachi wheezed nearby, anxiously scanning the darkness for any dangers. It was difficult looking for clues at this depth and with such limited light.

The water seemed to sparkle with a different sort of strength and light that the near surface held – dark blue and green, the shimmering motes flickering with unknown light source. But the rocks and deeper crevices were an unforgiving violet and black, seemingly life of its own as shapes were casted against the walls around them.

With frustration, Law continued to search, eventually winding up at the dark cliff side that allowed no light, noise or presence. In the immense quiet here, his thoughts were the loudest.

 _What was I doing_?

 _What was that_?

'Maybe you didn't find a companion in someone from your species because you were drawn to something else'.

 _What was_ that?

 _When I find something that captures my curiosity, isn't it natural to investigate it?_ Law thought with mystification, pausing in mid movement. His amber eyes searched the dark depths with an odd feeling of panic building up in him. Not that the darkness frightened him – nothing really did – but his feelings and uncertainty were immersed over the subject of his confusing thoughts. But Law was sure what he was feeling wasn't just an investigation of another curiosity, or something different – those feelings he experienced, they were something else.

They were warmth and happiness and interest…interest that had nothing to do with investigating something new and different – but noticing the human being as something attractive. And that was a terribly tough thought to examine for himself. In the moment, he reacted, lulled by the pull of intrigue and fascination – away from it, he felt fear and shame.

He could hear Corazon speaking directly into his thoughts. 'Wrong, wrong, wrong! Humans are jellyfish, Law! They'll hurt just to hurt, not because they know what they're doing, but because they can!'

Wearing an expression of consternation, Law glided down to the cliff's edge to see sand misting over, disappearing into the depths.

 _But he was scared, too_ , Law reasoned with his hands closing into fists. _Saying something along the basis of what he was doing was wrong. As I was looking at him, he was also looking at me._

The very thought made him nervous. _What did I look like in his eyes?_

Shachi cleared his throat nervously, jolting Law out of his thoughts. "Um, so…you gonna go down there? Or…are you working up your nerve?"

Law wasn't sure what to say. He swallowed tightly. "I've got to find her," he said resolutely.

"You've been acting real strange, Law. What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I just…" Law trailed off. What would a killer whale know of his feelings? But he felt bad for thinking of it that way – Shachi and Penguin were his only friends, really. He spoke to no one else, forgoing contact with most of his own kind because of his own lack of interest, because of his own reasons. Even when approached by interested others who brought attention to his looks, he'd often rejected the contact as clingy annoyances. Down here, merfolk didn't have restrictions to the gender of their companion, as Sanji had softly described. Law could recall being approached by males and females, but it was his own disinterest and cranky attitude that pushed them away. He just wasn't interested in the options given to him.

To know he'd allow a human to draw out that lack of fire in him…his stomach overturned with the sheer outrage of it. _Was it right_? Was he attracted? The human was pleasing to look at, captured Law's interest with the sound of his voice, the warmth of his laugh – but Law had to ask himself: was it _his_ choice?

He swallowed again. "That human…I…"

"Oh, yeah, you can't tell what's going on with him," Shachi said with relief. "You can't really trust them."

 _There's that,_ Law thought, narrowing his eyes. "Then, there's also the offer Ivankov made me. What did she do to allow us to speak? What will I have to give in return?"

Shachi gave him a doubtful look. "Pretty sure she made it clear. I don't know about that one, but – "

"I didn't agree to it. The human just said he woke up understanding the chatter of those animals around him. Including us." Law drifted down to the cliff's edge, tail curling over. There was a distinct pull to it that made him steady himself with his fingers over the rocky edge. The pressure here pressed against his chest, clamped around his bones. The temperature was noticeably cold – almost like ice. But his skin seemed to remember how that felt, because his home waters were temperatures that caused frost and ice to build at the surface, caused his form to adjust with thicker skin and his tail to thicken with heavier muscle. Since he left, he was considerably slimmer – adjusted to the warmer waters here.

He reached up to touch the place where Sanji had grasped him. The human's touch was still warm to the touch. So dry and yet startling memorable. Absently, Law thought that being touched by a human was something he'd experienced at Corazon's own firm grasp. Gentle. Kind. Clinging.

His chest hurt as it expanded with an inhale. The feelings were so foreign, so alien. This was supposed to be wrong. He was told all his life that it was wrong to interact with a human. They were killers, they slaughtered merfolk without regard. But this human – Sanji – he touched Law like he trusted him. It was difficult to think of Sanji as something dangerous when Sanji hadn't done anything dangerous.

Shachi wandered over, puzzled by Law's quiet brooding. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Law grumbled, drawing his own hand away.

"Law, you've always wanted to talk to human. Now, here's your chance! I thought you guys were getting along so well! What happened?"

 _Weird feelings,_ Law answered inwardly with a scowl. Weird feelings that shouldn't be there.

"I suspect Ivankov put forth something that I'd have to pay for later, and I want to eliminate that sort of debt before it accumulates into something terribly disastrous," he mumbled in response.

"It's stressing you out."

"Because what if what Ivankov wants is unreasonable?"

"Maybe there was something inside of that request that wasn't unreasonable, after all. I mean, when she was talking about Corazon, I mean…why suddenly bring him up? What if Corazon had told her something that he wanted her to fulfill if he couldn't be here to do it?"

Law looked at the orca with a side eye as the killer whale nosed the ground for something interesting to eat. "Then that would mean he expected to die."

Law eyed the depths. The current tugged at his tail like a massive, invisible hand, coercing him into its dark environment. The pressure caused an uncomfortable sensation at his gills and ears. Caused his eyes discomfort. His thoughts seemed louder, here.

"But," Law said slowly, with immense discomfort. " _I_ want to be the one to decide these things. Not have it decided for me."

Shachi looked at him with understanding. While he really didn't understand Law's mood, he knew Law as a selfish man. Brooding about things he rarely allowed them to hear, brooding about loneliness in a roundabout way. Speaking of his fears without directly addressing them. Law was the most stressed when it seemed he'd be hurt. When he and Penguin met him, he was still a youngling, traumatized by the death of his trusted companion. So furiously affected that he rejected other interactions and took the animals on as companions for his own strange reasons.

But Shachi worried that one day, when he and Penguin found their own families – their goal in life – Law would be left alone. That wasn't something either animal found suitable. Not that he was allowing for the human to interact with merfolk because all of them were certain that humans were dangerous. Shachi couldn't see the problem – Law was talking to a human, something he wanted. Something he'd yearned for ever since the killer whale met him. So why was the merman so apprehensive and troubled from interacting with the human?

"Law," Shachi asked, "did the human try to kill you? That's why you're upset?"

Law had to think about it, ruminating over their interaction with a cross look to his face. "No," he answered reluctantly. "Not at all. The human…is so much more weaker than I. He had no chance in the water."

"But he kicked Kid right in the eye!"

The human had no strength to swim, but did stop Kid with his foot. Law exhaled.

 _I have so many questions,_ he thought with frustration. _And the human is the only one I can find to answer them all. But…I'm too aware of him in a way that's very uncomfortable. Why am I so_ odd…?

He shook his head ever so slightly, rubbing the inside of one wrist. _Contact isn't something that I've craved, nor did I desire companionship in a way that's desperate_ , he reasoned with himself. _So perhaps all that caused this strange feeling is the product of long starved interaction with another being._

 _But_ , he amended with more consideration, _I did not feel this way when Ivankov approached me, nor do I feel this way with Kidd._

 _Where is he, by the way_?

Law focused on the sounds around him – the far off distant sounds of other marine life that was muffled by the silence here. There were whales singing, but they were so far away that their songs were vague noise. There was the gusting of current against sand, the falling of rock from eroding surfaces caught within the moving pressures of the sea. Shachi's nosing against the floor, the angry mumbles of a deep sea eel that had lost its way as its long body wiggled gracefully along the cliff's edge. The sound of Law's own beating heart, loud now that he was aware of it. He thought of the human – the blue of his eyes, the way his dry lips curled with a smile, the way his body muscles flexed as he swam. The sound of his voice – soft and firm in the quiet of the night, his laugh…That warm feeling returned to Law's belly, and he made a face.

The sensation of the human's body near his was heat and a strange awareness that did things to Law's chest. It made all his senses sing – not with danger, but with something else. His brow furrowed with worry.

 _Isn't it wrong_ _to_ _possess awakening feelings for something that is clearly another species? Surely there are rules against that._

Corazon's multiple warnings came back to him in a mixture of memory. Being told that it was wrong felt different now that Law was in the midst of experiencing it. It caused heavy doubt within himself, with someone he trusted caused a an uncomfortable battle inside of himself.

 _I can't lie to myself_ , he continued to think pensively while Shachi gave him a concerned look from nearby. _I can't lie to myself that these things I am feeling are…not right. They're not because I'm curious. What I am experiencing is something I experienced before – welcoming and appreciating another's touch. It's because he is a human that it's wrong. It is because I've been told to hate before having a chance to experience for myself what allows me to feel comfortable hating. If this was wrong across all the board, I would have never started feeling what I had. Therefore…_

He exhaled heavily, tilting his head back. "How can I be certain it is me feeling these things, and not because Ivankov allowed it to be?"

"Is that what this is? If anything, Law, Ivankov did something to it," Shachi pointed out. "Because he spoke to us first after being approached…? Doesn't that count."

 _I suppose_ , Law thought without answering aloud. _But if I am feeling these things, then perhaps the human himself is witched by Ivankov, and therefore, this is a lie on someone else's shoulders. My own feelings…well, perhaps I just need to clear my head._

Resolved, he pushed away from the edge, turning to look at Shachi. "You are right. Let's go find the wreckage, explore what is left."

"That sounds _not_ fun – finding it is the hard part."

"It'll give the human a few days to reset himself. If Ivankov set a spell on him, it'll affect the human. Not me. It's the only way to be sure."

"If you say so."

: :

Sanji watched the moon drift across the sky by scanning the dark waters that slapped the shore with foam and force. The night was quiet, birds settled in the trees behind him, the fire casting odd lights and shadows amidst them. He had a sinking feeling in his gut, and the longer the time passed without seeing any sign of the merman made something heavy and awful build in his chest.

 _It was wrong_ , he realized, staring out at the sea with an expressionless face. _And this is God's way of telling me that it was. This is His warning to me. I suppose confession will be interesting once I'm rescued_.

He moved cigarette from one side of his mouth to the other. _Which is bullshit, because confessing always puts me in a bad mood. Why should I have to atone for things that aren't of anyone's business? Why do I still believe in something I can't even see?_

 _But_ …

He pulled his jacket tighter over his shoulders, stomach growling noisily. The fish he had managed to catch complained and screamed in such an unforgiving way that his appetite was dingy with guilt and uneasy feelings of remorse. To think, he'd spent most of his life killing and cooking these things without hearing any of these things, but now it was starting to feel like cannibalism.

Whatever happened to allow him to speak to a merman was both agitating and wondrous. There was no mistaking the merman's interest in Sanji, there was no room to doubt that this beautiful creature had an interest in Sanji as a human, but this stretched silence was an obvious indication that something was wrong because both of them had felt _something_. He exhaled smoke with a blow, cigarette lifted from his lips. The clear image of him touching the merman with the intent of touching, rather than natural curiosity, made him feel shamed. He cringed on the inside for taking advantage of something he had only seen of other men. He'd been so careful, but that dark curiosity he had growing inside of him had been strengthened with the thought that he was going to die.

 _This is God's way of telling me I shouldn't have allowed myself to think in different ways_ , Sanji thought with bitterness. His cigarette glowed softly in the quiet dark, embers crackling and snapping at his feet. There was a cold breeze that rustled the trees and upset his fire place – so glowing pieces of wood and grass drifted out of their zone and died along the cold sand.

Sanji stared up at the night sky with accusation, heart thundering noisily. _I'm going to die out here._

He dragged his dirty fingers through his salt tinged hair. Sanji missed his friends – he was sure they had noticed by now that he was gone. The Orbit wasn't coming into port as scheduled. He refused to think that any of this was his fault to begin with. He'd done everything right. He'd lived his life as close to the rules as possible, and he hadn't strayed. Except for this one time. Because he was sure he was going to die. He squeezed his eyes shut. _No. Don't think that way_.

With the merman's absence, perhaps Sanji had to save himself. He turned his head into the other direction – there had to be another island to allow these birds to flourish. But where…? And how to get there?

The next day, he searched the island for something he could craft a boat with. He set to work gathering fallen branches from young trees, cursed the lack of tools to use, and used his jacket to cut and create straps with. It was a crude craft, but it didn't sink when he placed it in the heaving water. He used what was left of the fish from the other day to dry in soft billowing smoke, and caught a few hapless birds that he cooked and wrapped within his vest. The birds screamed murderously at him, diving at his head. He'd need food – he'd catch the rain with his mouth if he had to. There were clouds in the distance with drifting arms that made him hopeful for light showers and not damaging storms.

He watched birds flutter around the island, looking for indications of long travel. Seagulls flew in from the east, and talked noisily about how calm the water was. There was good fishing in that area, they said. After Sanji was confident that he had everything he needed, he approached a group of seagulls that were shrilling noisily at each other on the shore;, annoying each other and the inhabitants of the island.

"Hey, you shitty birds," Sanji greeted them, sunburned hands slipping his pockets. All of them gaped at him with their beaks wide open, in shock. "Show me the direction of a larger island. Something occupied by people."

"You can _talk_?"

"You can talk?"

" _You can talk?_ "

"Yes, yes, yes," Sanji said impatiently over their similar squawks. "Let's get over that. I'm going to strike a deal with you assholes."

"You don't got nothing we want from you," one gull scoffed, fluffing his wings.

"Why should we help you? Ain't like you did nothing for us!"

"You help guide me to land, show me the way where you've come from, and I won't eat you," Sanji then promised. The seagulls all began laughing, wings fluttering and feet patting the sand as they looked at each other.

"Like you can catch us!"

"After everything we eat, you're not going to fare well."

"We're stringy and gross!"

"I ate my own poop the other day!"

"You should've seen what I was snacking on last night! She wasn't complaining, though."

"We're not going to roll over and allow you to eat us, what the hell?"

Sanji's visible eye ticked as they spoke over themselves, vulgar and crude. Seagulls, he thought with new insight to their chatter. Humans only thought of them as nuisances, but they were quite mouthy. "You all have nests, right? You've got children to raise? I'll eat those suckers without feeling sorry about it. The longer I stay here, the more of you I eat!"

The birds fell silent, looking at each other with worry. One of them cleared his throat. "Yeah, okay, good point. We'll take you there."

: :

The wreckage had drifted nearly two miles from where Law had first run into it. It had spiraled and torn into smaller pieces to litter the sea floor. Wreckage sparkled brilliantly against the sea bed, where homes were being fashioned hastily by those seeking opportunity of new and interesting holes. Sharks drifted about, growing annoyed as fish eluded them by using the pieces of the ship as cover. The water was thick with human remains, dusted by the wreckage's unsettled collection of dust and debris. Law ventured in, aware of other merfolk roving curiously against the larger pieces. There were seven layers to the ship that were open to the underwater world, revealing layer upon layer of differences. As large as they were, merfolk were able to slip in and out with ease, marveling over human ingenuity.

Shachi chased off the sharks, threatening to eat them while Penguin hastily dove to one of the top layers of the wreckage to hide safely within. Fish scattered. A mermaid shrilled in surprise as the animal darted around her, causing her to drop her found treasures of jewelry and dresses that looked strangely ghostly within the moving water. Law thought about what Sanji had told him – that the fire started from the kitchen. He had a vague idea of where that was located on a ship like this one, having seen previous wreckages before. This ship had a different design that he hadn't seen before – as he drifted in, his hands trailed over swollen and burnt wood, touching the split ends with wonder. The layers were a strange and shifting silence between, and he pulled himself into a long corridor with broken walls, fluttering wallpaper and furniture caught against the ceiling. _Humans were so messy_ , he reflected with impatience, as various belongings, small objects and bedsheets made it difficult to negotiate through. It took some time to push and pull heavy furniture from the hall, slinging it behind him while more "treasures" wafted and caught against his tail.

He meandered through narrow halls and a spiral stairway, marveling over the muted orange decorations and bright blue flashes of light from the chandelier that had ripped from an ornate wood ceiling. Once upon a time, this room would have been amazing to see from a human's point of view, Law reflected, catching sight of massive paintings that rested in broken frames against the floor. He reached out to touch that surface, drawing his hands up sharply once wood pricked him. Fish darted out from various hiding places, an octopus swatting at him before taking on the colors around it. Law turned and headed down an oval shaped doorframe, pushing open swinging doors with rounded windows. The taste and smell of smoke was stronger, here. But the walls, outfitted with iron, were only scorched. The skeleton of the room was strangely wrong as his vision adjusted to the dark.

The fire had consumed every wooden aspect of the place, and torn through floors, ripped down to the spine. Law had the thought that with all the metals the ship used to form walkways, rooms and floor, they'd use similar pieces for the weakest aspects of the ship.

'See this?'

He heard Corazon's voice call out to him in a memory that took over his present day sight. He was a child again, marveling over broken dishes, spilled utensils, playing with a brilliantly colored tablecloth. Corazon was gesturing at the wreckage's skeleton form, which glittered with debris.

'Wood allows it to float. Too much metal will sink it. Look at this, Law. This ship was of modern design. It was the engine room that blew, that caused a traverse line of failures. Blew out a hole here in the hull, which flooded the – are you listening?"

'Yes!' Law had answered impatiently, and present day Law could hear the impatience and lack of caring in his own young tone. He had to make a face. His younger self was such a _brat_.

'They don't use wood as much, anymore," Corazon had said. 'Because their minds continued to evolve to make something better than before. This ship, Law, was just human operator error. That's all it ever is.'

Sanji had mentioned that a cook had started the fire, Law reflected, moving through the kitchen. The metal skeletons of shelves, fallen cabinets, and still-standing counters showed him a fiery demise that left clouds of black everywhere he looked. The stove, a massive, wall clinging device that Law couldn't imagine in prime working condition, bore the marks of a fire that left it gutted, the wall behind it blown out to reveal a pantry of sorts. From there, he could see clear to the dining room, which made Law think _sabotage_. A dangerous area like a kitchen should have been enclosed in with more fire preventive safety measures, and not allowed to burn as it did to ravage a ship.

'Humans stab each other all the time,' Corazon said with a sigh, helping Law untangle himself from the tablecloth that had started to constrict his gills. Left gasping, Law worked to get himself back together as the older merman tossed the tablecloth aside. 'Kill each other for stupidly small reasons. Sometimes, they would sacrifice their own lives all in the name of money and riches. Insurance fraud.'

'How do you know all this stuff? I don't know anything you just said,' Law had said impatiently.

Corazon shrugged, then, twirling away and having his tail caught within a chair's square backing. He flapped his tail a few times, the chair stubbornly clinging to him before he impatiently jerked the item off and tossed it – in Law's direction. The young merman grunted when the chair bounced and broke against his head, Corazon shrilling with a horrified scream. As he closed the distance, Law rubbed his forehead with impatience and fought off the ensuring hugging and sobbing apologies.

There were bodies of cooks, scorched and mangled, caught by the ceiling in a strange moving pile. Their half faces, limp limbs and swollen bodies were ghastly. They were nothing but sea fodder, now, and the water bloat made Law think that they were no longer human.

As Law lingered there, he furrowed his brow. How did Corazon know of these things? As a merman, how did he know of kitchens, stoves, human operator errors and insurance frauds? As a child, he had just thought that as an older merman, Corazon was just experienced. With Ivankov's revelation, Law had a sinking feeling that the octo-woman was hinting at something bigger.

 _Was Corazon once a human_ …?

The thought was too big for Law to consider, because it sounded so ridiculous. There was no such thing – he had just started to accept that a sea witch could allow humans and merfolk to communicate, this was…

He slowly made his way out of the kitchen. He'd save that thought for later.

: :

Exploration of the rest of the ship gave him cluttered hallways that were blocked by furniture, bodies and merfolk that were ready to fight over their found treasures. Law flipped through books that eventually fell apart in his hand due to the water, and he half listened to the conversations around him. He examined the lifeboats that were still clinging to the rails – he found it interesting that the locks that held them in place were melted over, as if caught in blazing temperatures. Could fire generate that much heat while the ship was still above water? A few of the boats had holes in them, easily discovered by broken pieces of paneling and tar that seemed to dissolve on touch. It was all a suspicious mess, and though he wasn't a human, as a merfolk, these tiny things seemed to suggest something bigger than what Sanji had thought. It'd be interesting to question the person that had actually made the mistake.

By the time he'd grown tired of his investigations, night had fallen. He followed Shachi and Penguin away from the mess, yawning. He found a suitable cave in which he could curl up and rest against the ceiling, sleeping while the two went out to hunt. By the time he ventured out, feeling refreshed, the afternoon sun was casted overhead. He went in search of Ivankov once more, Shachi and Penguin chattering away about what they'd found, their future plans, and what they wanted their kids to take from them.

As Law was investigating the cliff side he'd abandoned the day previous, he was once again struck with the thought of _Where's Kidd_?

Normally, Law made sure to keep merfolk like Kidd in his peripheral vision because fights between merfolk were mostly over territory and might, and Kidd had challenged him from their very first meeting. Kidd had certain areas he liked to frequent, but since their last confrontation, Law had lost track of him. The one armed sharkman normally had his own agenda – terrorizing merfolk colonies and making his name known – but would he let a human out of his sight if he had a chance to terrorize it?

Law headed back to the island Sanji occupied. Since night had fallen once more, he searched for signs of the fire that had been present, and was concerned to see nothing. As quiet as the island was, he heard the trees' rustle and the sharp slaps of wave upon sand. He blew bubbles against the surface, furrowing his eyebrows. He couldn't see very well without that now familiar light, so if Sanji wasn't using it, Law couldn't see him.

Penguin yawned noisily as he popped up near him, Shachi exhaling into the air as he breached.

"I don't think he's there anymore, Law," Penguin said.

Law felt his chest constrict – the feelings had to be separated. Regret? Relief? Disappointment? He wasn't sure.

"Maybe he was picked up," he muttered, his tone heavy.

"I mean, that's good, right?"

Without answering, Law swept back underwater. Something hurt inside of him. Regret? It felt like a heavy cold sensation in his chest and lungs. He had more questions, he wanted to tell Sanji what he found and get answers he didn't think he'd needed. He folded his arms over his chest, trying to fight the sensation of disappointment from changing into anything else. He swept away, Penguin saying something that Law didn't hear.

"What's wrong?" Shachi asked, pulling up in front of him. "You look so mad."

"I mean, _obviously_ Law had questions," Penguin answered smartly. "Now that he could get him, and the human just - ! took off! Rude, if you ask me."

"Yeah, that's pretty rude."

 _I shouldn't have to feel this way_ , Law thought with a heavy frown. _I feel angry and disappointed that I have more subjects to discuss, and I missed out on the opportunity_. He turned, looking at Penguin. "Please go up there and be sure that he's not there."

"Ugh, do I have to? I'm all for waking everyone up like an ass, but…!"

"Maybe he allowed his fire to die out."

With a huff, Penguin turned and headed towards shore while Law ventured back up to the surface. Hearing Penguin waddle noisily up onto shore, Law watched from a safe distance. Shachi popped up nearby, exhaling noisily. Birds were roused to wakening with Penguin's obnoxious squawking, causing an uproar that began to build up and down the island. Amidst the angry voices, Law listened for the human's. When Penguin returned to the water, Law was sure that the animal would give him an answer he half expected to hear.

"Yeah, he's gone," Penguin said breathlessly. "Those jerks on the rocks said they showed him how to get to the bigger island."

"Swimming?" Law asked, shocked.

"I don't know. But he didn't come back, so either he's dead or he's dead. Either or, Law, I think - !"

"Which way?"

"They showed him thataway," Penguin answered, pointing with a flipper in the opposite direction. "They said he would eat their kids if they didn't show him the way, so they said that way. Only, it was a trick. They were trying to protect their babies, so basically they sent him in the wrong direction."

Law rolled his eyes, but dove in deep, heading in that direction. Penguin followed, Shachi taking up their rear with a whine.

"So, what, we're gonna bring him back?"

"I say we just let him go," Shachi murmured. "He's a human, Law!"

Law didn't say anything, unsure of how to express himself. When he caught up, what was he going to do? Get his answers before the stupid human with the kind eyes just died?

 _Or_ , he thought, _maybe Sanji should just know why he was allowed to die_.

That aspect seemed fair.

"Keep your ears open," he murmured. "It shouldn't be that hard to find a stupid human fighting the waves. They can't swim far without a life jacket."

Penguin and Shachi stared at each other, unsure of what a 'life jacket' was. But they followed, the moon lighting the way.

: :

Sanji had a sinking feeling the birds had lied to him. There was no large land mass in sight, and there were no birds, either. Halfway through the day, he turned directly around and began making his way back. He'd teach those things a lesson for lying to him. But on his makeshift craft with a badly made oar, he doubted he'd get there. The strips of cloth he'd used to tie it all together kept loosening, and the wood continued to sink beneath his weight unless he pushed himself out to cling onto it from behind. The ocean itself was pushing him into another direction with its constant movement. Anger and outrage kept him going – knowing that he'd make his way back to the island, he didn't allow fear to creep into his thoughts. He'd only made half a day's travel – it wouldn't be that hard to make his way back.

But night had come upon him, and he was tired. He had managed to crawl and rest against the length of his makeshift craft, which sunk shallowly to keep him and his clothes uncomfortably wet. But his anger worked to keep him warm in the cold water. He wasn't going to expect the fishman to come back – Sanji wasn't going to rely on Law to keep saving his miserable life.

 _I'm going to cook every one of those damn birds, and enjoy every shitty bite_! He thought furiously. He was positive he could identify the individuals that gave him bad directions – every seagull looked the same, but they had different voices, and Sanji was dead set on finding the ones that spoke to him. He clumsily rolled onto his back, folding his arms behind his head to stare up at the night sky. His legs curled over the edge of the craft to remain plunged in the water, but his bare feet registered the dangers below before pulling up and spreading to the corner edges to stabilize the craft but also keep anything from touching them.

The moving water clung to his hair and crept towards his ears, but he could rest there to think. The silence that stretched all around him was vaguely intimidating. The sea wasn't so scary now that Sanji had an idea of what was down there, but it didn't allow him to relax – there were still sharks lingering down there (Megalodons) and half humans with fish bodies. If the elements and starvation didn't do him in, then they surely would.

He smacked his lips. He had nothing to bring fresh water with him, taking the chance on rain and luck. But now he looked forward to the cool water that had collected in bird-poop surrounded pools on the island.

A falling star streaked over the night canvas before fading away. Sanji furrowed his sunburnt brow and wondered what to wish for. He thought of the merman, and his gut curled with apprehension, forcing him to push the image out of his thoughts. He forced himself to think about other things – his friends, the various dishes he'd come to perfect, what his next suit would look like when hired onto another passenger ship. In the future, when he was rescued, he'd quickly settle down with a lady to combat these uneasy and surely sinful feelings for a merman away.

But in the meantime, he stared up at the night sky and wanted to ask God a few questions. His tongue moved to touch the back of his teeth, counting them absently just to keep his mind active. Unwelcome images of the merman came back to him in this hard silence, causing Sanji's blood to heat with a different sort of warmth. He closed his eyes and struggled to think of something else. The curves of a woman, the sight of a various hourglass figures made possible by stiff corsets, the exposure of ample chests and delicately fixed hair. The women on the ship were dressed in different garments throughout the day, changing based on the occasion, and meal times were the best times to interact with them. He was too clumsy with women, too overeager to please – none snuck their way back to talk to him, none took him up on his offers for a casual drink on the deck.

Sanji had to wonder what it was about him that turned women away. Maybe it was his manners – maybe they weren't refined enough. Maybe it was his hair.

But the merman looked at him differently –

 _Of course he would_! Sanji thought angrily, arguing with himself, still wearing that grim expression. _He obviously finds us shitty people fascinating – we are animals at the zoo for him_!

The merman's webbed hands felt like cold, slimy steel on his bared skin. Able to hurt, but gentle enough to grasp Sanji like he'd float away.

Sanji shoot up with a horrified gasp, upsetting his craft. He had to balance himself stiffly, furious at his body's awakening reaction to the memory. He glared up at the night sky. "Such a sense of humor you have!" He shouted, voice ringing out noisily over the quiet waves around him. "If You're real, You wouldn't allow me a dammed stiffy just thinking about him!"

He then glared down at his lap, shaking his head with utmost disgust. "You, son, are _naughty_ ," he stressed. "How dare you react without my consent? Crawl back to your cave and stay there."

He then flopped back on his craft, folding his arms behind his head once more. His body began to obey him again, but as he stared up at the night sky, he wondered just how fast to Hell he'd get if he could just masturbate one more time to the image of a damned _merman_ –

The craft jolted violently, snapping noisily and almost collapsing. Sanji sat up once more, heart racing with fear as he glanced around himself. He searched for a dorsal fin, searched for hands, searched for that annoying "fluffy fish", or the fat orca (not that either of them were overweight, but it was humorous that these animals teased each other). When he didn't seen anything, Sanji exhaled low, gripping the outer edges of his craft and peering into the dark water.

"Law?" He questioned tentatively, squinting. Then he froze and stared up at the sky once more, giving it an accusing expression. After collecting himself, he shouted, "Stop picking on me! Haven't I endured enough?"

The craft rocked again, and he almost lost his balance. Reverting his attention back to the water, Sanji strained to see if it were animal or half human lurking underneath him.

"God isn't picking on you when there are more terrible people out here in the world," Sanji reasoned out loud to himself, wincing. "Why pick on one stupid man?"

He saw the glint of eyes captured by the moon's light, but the distorted color alerted Sanji that this wasn't Law -nor was it an animal. His heart hammered against his chest as a long, thick shadow coiled like a snake beneath his craft, allowing him to see glimmers of striped skin.

 _It's the other guy_ , he realized, picturing the sharkman. _It's the other guy_!

"Are there more of you out here? Or are you talking to yourself like an idiot?"

That voice was sharper and deeper than Law's, and Sanji could hear it distinctively, despite it coming from underwater. For a moment, he was more embarrassed for someone overhearing him shouting at God for giving him a boner than being threatened. Sanji cleared his throat.

"Obviously, you understand me," he said calmly, "and what business is it of yours who I speak to, good sir? If I wanted your ugly face to interfere with my conversation, I'd invite you."

The sharkman burst out from the water with a snarl, wearing such a fierce expression on his scarred face that Sanji jerked back. Those jagged teeth were frightening, and when one big, wet hand clasped down on his flimsy craft, wood snapped and popped like thunder over the calm.

"I never thought of myself as ugly," the sharkman snarled, "but you're a dead human!"

"Jump in the back of the line, shitty fish," Sanji told him, baring his teeth, "because if you think you can kill me, you got another thing coming."

For a moment, the sharkman blinked double lids then he cocked his head. "How… _wait…_."

Sanji rolled his eyes as the sharkman stared at him with sudden realization, losing that fearsome expression of his. Now he looked at Sanji dumbly, scarlet hair hanging in tufts around his thick, wide face.

"Aren't you slow?" Sanji asked him, vaguely amused. "Sharks _do_ have little brains."

"Are you laughing at me?"

"Not yet."

The sharkman snarled, and ripped the wood apart with a jerk of its single arm. Sanji flopped into the water, but he grabbed his flimsy oar, cracking it in half with a knee braced against the middle. He flipped the broken pieces up like a weapon, treading the water clumsily while he kept the sharkman in sight, the creature circling him. The dark dorsal fin was scarred and jagged, making Sanji wonder what the hell this massive creature lost a fight to.

"Now that we understand each other," Sanji said clumsily, struggling to keep his head above water to be heard, "I'm not going to make this easy for you. I'm no one's easy meal. It's up to me how to die."

"I heard humans taste great when they're afraid," the sharkman said with a sinister undertone, eyes dropping to treading legs, "so I guess I have the time to tenderize my meal before I eat it."

Before Sanji could think to stab him, Kidd grabbed his ankle and made a sharp turn towards the depths. Sanji hastily held his breath, helpless against the powerful force that pulled him like an anchor towards the sea floor. He was startled at how strong the creature's grasp was, how weak he was against the pull.

 _He didn't have a chance_ , he realized as pressure started to close around him, his arms yanked above him as the sharkman's tail moved swiftly to propel them both towards depths Sanji couldn't even see. The pressure caused his head to ache and his body to feel like it was being clasped within a vise, but he held strong to his weapons of choice, jerking furtively at his foot. The moment it felt like he was going to pop, the sharkman released him, curling around to watch him with sharp teeth baring in the dark water. Sanji scrambled to kick and swim back towards the surface, following air bubbles released from his own mouth. He couldn't even see the moonlight from this depth, and his arms swept clumsily alongside him. His lungs were screaming at this point, feet kicking frantically to return to the surface.

The creature darted in front of him, hand out to push back on Sanji's head – pushing him back towards the dark.

"Air breather needs a little air?" He mocked as Sanji strained to get loose of that grasp. "Well, why don't you try harder?"

Sanji wanted to speak, but his lungs wanted oxygen. Kidd released him, and Sanji swept past him, kicking hard for the surface. He could feel the thing following him, the water churning differently with the sharkman's movement. Sanji kept expecting him to grab him again, but everything was screaming at him to ignore that fear, propelling him to swim. When he broke the surface, he gasped noisily, head aching with pain. His body seemed to snap, crackle and pop in weird ways, tightening and seizing in uncomfortable waves. He breathed in steadily, blinking lids over eyes that kept seeing white spots fluttering around him. His heart was racing furiously, stomach churning dangerously. The moment he inhaled, he felt the sharkman grab and yank again.

Sanji whirled and kicked at that single hand with one heel. "You fucking asshole!"

Kidd turned to look at him, pausing in mid-rush. "How are you able to _speak_ down here?"

Because Sanji really didn't have an answer, he considered the genuine curiosity behind that question. His lungs burned – speaking out of his element and being attacked at the same time was out of his element. He wheezed, jerking his foot out of the sharkman's grasp and shooting back to the surface. His head was whirling, seemingly bursting with white fireworks. But he sucked in air treading the water with weakened arms. He was yanked back under when the sharkman grew impatient with him.

"Stop that, bastard!" Sanji snapped at him, using his other foot to kick the sharkman's face. But it was a dull thud and impact that barely caused the sharkman to blink. "I don't know why I'm allowed this! Law said – "

"You could speak to that guy, too?" Kidd asked, clearly bewildered. "All of us?"

"Law said someone named Ivankov did it!"

Kidd released him as if he'd been burnt, drawing back with so much appalling horror that it shocked Sanji into frozen silence. Kidd then wiped his hand up and down his rather muscular torso then gave a solid shiver that rocked him from the top of his head to the bottom of his scarred tail.

He shouted with pure disgust, causing Sanji's eyes to widen with bewilderment and rising humor at the change of expression. "And I _touched_ you!"

"Who is this guy to you guys?" Sanji asked in bewilderment, hands spread.

"A witch," Kidd snarled, looking at him as if he were sea scum. He kept waving his hand about as his striped skin started to turn color; seemingly fading into the darkness while the brightness of his eyes continued to burn. "A sea witch that never has anything good to offer. Whatever agreement you two made, that's on you. I'd stay well away from that crap."

"I didn't have a choice!" Sanji exclaimed. He made a fretful gesture. "When you mention 'sea witch', you clearly mean a woman, right?"

"NO! Ivankov can switch their sex when it conveniences them. That's the bad part," Kidd muttered with such bewilderment that Sanji had to wonder what lesson Kidd had learned from his encounter with the creature. But the sharkman's report made Sanji fret once more, horrified that what he'd seen that day was a truth. "Not only that…"

The sharkman trailed off, glancing at Sanji with an expression the human couldn't read underwater before turning his back to him. Indignantly, Sanji yelled at him, "Finish your damn sentence!"

"Don't order me around, human," Kidd warned him, dangerously close to his face before Sanji had the chance to blink. "I'll snap your head off in an instant if you keep that up."

Sanji did have to return to the surface to breathe, gasping in air with relief. He then pushed himself back down, getting used the concept of talking to sea creatures underwater. Kicking and treading the water so that he could face the sharkman, he said, "Law was looking for it. He suspects foul play. Why don't you help him?"

"Why should I help that jerk?" Kidd exclaimed with disbelief, looking at Sanji. "He's done nothing for me! I am not going out of my way to help someone as selfish and idiotic as that piece of work."

Sanji watched him for a few moments, eyes narrowing. He reached out to cling onto the sharkman's back as he made to swim away. Furiously, Kidd jerked about, arm flailing fiercely. It caused the water to churn and bubble violently as Sanji then wrapped his legs around the sharkman's chest, squeezing tightly.

"Sounds personal," he commented lightly, wrapping his arms around the creature's neck, threatening to cover his gills. " _Real_ personal."

"The only reason I'm interested in that sea witch is that she promised - !"

Kidd cut himself off, stilling. Then he twisted violently, moving towards the depths at such speed that Sanji lost his grip, pushing back towards the surface. When he broke through, he sputtered and coughed once more, wheezing as he gulped in large amounts. Speaking underneath the water left his head bubbling, eyes to spin ever so slightly. He could forget that he needed air in the first place.

He made to push himself back underneath when a large shadow of black plowed into him. He recognized the orca by its presence, knocked clear out of the water, bouncing ever so slightly atop of its back as it gave him ample surface to sit and breathe.

Meanwhile, Kidd quickly twisted and turned to face Law as he sensed his quick approach, the merman's face twisted with vexation.

"I was going to eat him," Kidd verified snidely, causing Law to stop in mid-charge, Penguin shooting around him to position himself behind the sharkman, "but then he mentioned you guys got involved with Ivankov. You signed your own death wish, stupid. I want nothing to do with it."

Law frowned at him, noticing that Shachi had Sanji properly out of water. His heart was pounding so fiercely that he could barely hear his thoughts. All he'd heard in the distance was the violent churning of water that signaled an underwater attack, and muffled voices. He'd thought he'd come across a scene of death, and there were feelings that were racing through him that he had yet to identify. One of them was pure panic.

But Kidd's words stopped his swirling thoughts short. "What?" Law then questioned, aware of how tight his voice was.

"You heard me," Kidd snarled impatiently at him, tail lashing the water as he drifted back to put more distance between them. "Ivankov making deals with folks like us – it ain't ever good news. That human will go back and tell other humans what we're capable of, and that's it. Open hunting season, moron."

Law considered Kidd's tone and warning, relaxing his tense shoulders and fists. "You know Ivankov?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then help me find her."

"It."

"Her."

" _Them_. Whatever it wants to be," Kidd said impatiently, swimming around him. "It ain't nothing to do with me."

"How do you know of Ivankov?"

"None of your damn business!" Kidd turned to look at him, furrowing his brow. He gestured up at the surface with his one arm. "What you doing with that human, stupid? I'm curious, now. Are you draining his brain cells with your inane chatter? Finding the meaning of life within a life form that has no match for us under the waters? I could've snapped him like a twig with just two of my fingers."

Law scowled at him, crossing his arms. "None of your business."

"Corazon died because of humans," Kidd reminded him snidely, tail lashing once more as he circled Law dangerously, "and here you are, making friends with them. Isn't that a little fucked up? Guess you didn't care much for the guy as you thought you did."

It took everything Law had to repress showing any emotion or impulsive gesture, to give Kidd something to hold onto for another attack. But he grit his teeth and tightened his hands into fists once more, causing Kidd to smirk at him.

"You're still upset because I'd rejected your advances for companionship," Law murmured, examining his fingernails while Kidd jerked to a stop and whirled to look at him furiously, "and you're taking it out on me like a child. You approached Ivankov for assistance in your pathetic matters, and wound up burnt – "

"These _lies_!" Kidd hissed at him, flaring up around the shoulders and neck, displaying all teeth and fury as Law ignored him with a tut. He shoved Law hard enough for the fishman to flounder before catching himself. "I lost my arm in a human attack. So that I could gain my revenge on these miserable creatures, I wanted to be human myself. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly what I expected. The day I find Ivankov is the last day they'll ever live!"

Law looked at him with interest, restraining himself from mocking Kidd's declaration. But he couldn't stop himself from asking, "What happened?"

"The same thing that'll happen to you," Kidd warned him, suddenly grinning with all shark teeth on display. He began moving away again, chuckling. "Making deals with sea witches just to talk to a human… _foolish_. You deserve what you get from it."

Law watched him slink away, drifting back down into the shadows with Kidd's words ringing in his head. He'd have to put that away for later. He moved towards the surface, taking the time to do so.

 _It's been enough time_ , he thought to himself. _When we see each other again, I'll come to my senses, and realize just how idiotic I was._

Once he broke through, seeing Sanji perched with a glum look to his face – ankle over knee, elbow atop of knee and chin propped up on palm – Law felt a sinking feeling in his gut. That ugly warmth that he'd dreaded made its presence known in his chest, and caused a sensation of relief to cascade through him. The human was sunburnt and looked thinner, dryer, but he was obviously alive and well. It was a struggle for Law to retain his expression, to keep from showing his thoughts. He drifted over to Shachi and Sanji, the orca complaining underwater while he kept his back arched for Sanji's comfort.

Once Sanji saw him, he straightened up. He slid into the water with an expression of relief. "You came back!"

 _He thought I'd left him?_ Law wondered inwardly, feeling awkward with the obvious relief on display. He wasn't sure what face he was making as Sanji watched him, but Sanji's expression changed very suddenly, looking away from Law with obvious effort.

"I had that shark guy right where I wanted him," Sanji muttered, reaching out to pat Shachi's back as the orca dipped back under the waves. "I didn't need your help. You don't have to come out all the time, y'know. You did me a favor once. That was enough."

Law struggled to think of some excuse to give that wasn't a confession. So he said harshly, "When we heard sounds of an attack, we ventured over to see if we could wrest the prey away from Kidd for ourselves. Don't flatter yourself. You're still human scum."

Sanji nodded, treading the water with his arms moving about. Penguin made his way over, huffing and puffing, pushing what looked like half of his remaining craft. Sanji sighed with exasperation, reaching over for pieces of wood that were left clinging together, cloth strips from what was left of his jacket dangling from it. Law looked at it skeptically as Sanji realized it wasn't going to work.

"You intended on escaping the island for another on something like that?" Law asked him skeptically. He ducked underneath the water, searching for any sign of Kidd while Penguin and Shachi darted off in the direction of movement to their right. When he returned to the surface, sweeping his hair back from his face, Sanji was staring at him dumbly. The human then resumed touching the broken pieces with hands that seemed to shake.

"I now plan on taking my vengeance on those pieces of shit birds back there," Sanji said casually, thumb in that direction. "I'm going to catch, cook and eat every one that gave me wrong directions."

Law crooked an eyebrow, sweeping around him. Oh, he couldn't look away from the human and his flustered expression, his hands flitting uselessly to useless pieces that floated in front of him. Hearing his voice, feeling the warmth of him in the cold waters – it was enough for Law to lose what he'd intended to say in the first place. The quiet night allowed only the collusion of waves churning the surface, stars sparkling brightly above. Sanji looked at him nervously, pushing his bang to the side.

"You don't have to keep saving me, you know," he said quietly. "I'd started negotiations with that guy - you called him Kidd?"

Law gave him another abrupt look. "I didn't come back to save you. There are things I feel you needed to hear before you…perished from another stupid choice."

"'Stupid choice'," Sanji repeated, frowning at him as Law examined his craft with a frown, handling the strips of cloth that had started to loosen from the wood. "And whatever is so important, sir? That'd you spend these days nosing your gills into places that are of none of your business?"

"Insurance fraud," Law stated clumsily, narrowing his eyes as Sanji watched him with utter confusion. "That was the term I'd once heard from another."

"Another human?"

"NO. A…a friend," Law said, pushing the craft aside and returning underwater, pushing away from the surface to start a slow swirl around the human. Sanji reached down, hand grasping at the dark, clearly searching for him. Law avoided the hand, trying to put his thoughts in order before the human shoved himself down there, expelling angry air bubbles.

"You keep leaving me floundering here, you might as well as finish your sentence!" Sanji snapped at him. "What is with you fish people and leaving a person swimming with expectations? What do you know of insurance fraud?"

"The skeleton of the ship was designed to fail," Law replied, using his tail fluke to push the human away from him. "The kitchen burnt the fastest because there were no safety structures involved."

Sanji stared at him with incredulity before returning to the surface, clinging to what was left of his craft. His teeth chattered slightly before the statement could sink in. Law emerged moments later, eyes and forehead visible as he continued to breathe comfortably.

"It was an old ship," Sanji said slowly, "but to think it was purposely sabotaged – "

"The lifeboats were welded in such a way that unlocking them was impossible. Also, humans do that to each other, don't they? For money and riches? Power?"

Sanji looked at him with speechless confusion, the sound of the sea carrying on around them. Somewhere in the distance, Shachi broke the surface to exhale and inhale, slapping the waves with his fluke. His chest tight, Sanji wasn't sure what to say in response, unable to believe that someone could be so evil as to sacrifice lives for their own gain. He thought about the captain and the crew, about the owner that occasionally popped in. He'd met the owner once or twice – a flashy man with a big entourage. The owner would greet the crew with respect and courtesy, but wouldn't linger long. Sanji couldn't say what sort of man he really was – he never cared to investigate, preferring the company of his fellow cooks and colleagues.

Law watched his expression turn grim, his own curiosity burning. "Speak out loud with your thoughts. Was I correct?"

Sanji watched him, furrowing his brow. He had no choice to believe Law – after all, Sanji himself couldn't reach the wreckage to see for himself. But he desperately would love to.

"I have to believe you," Sanji said slowly, looking down at the wood that floated uselessly against the surface, "because there is no one else that could rebuke your findings. Also…how the hell do you know what that is? What to look for? Are you some sort of sea detective?"

"I looked because I had the time, and I had the opportunity to learn from someone that knows these things."

"Who is this person? I'd like to meet them."

"Too bad, they're dead. And it's humans' fault," Law said bitterly, returning to the water to hide his personal feelings on the matter. Sanji looked after the churning with frustration, but he managed to prop an arm over the floating remains, steadying himself. He continued to kick his feet underwater, processing the information he'd been told.

When Law returned moments later, Sanji said, "I'm sorry that happened."

"Were you personally responsible?"

"…Pretty sure I'd remember that type of thing."

"Then why apologize for someone else's action? It's pointless and it mocks the pain of the other person to have such a baseless apology."

Because he agreed, Sanji gave a shrug. After a few moments, he said, "Then I have to survive to bring justice to the cause. If I am the only survivor, only I could tell the tale – "

"How? If the wreckage is too far for humans such as yourself to reach underneath the water, what evidence will you have?" Law gave him a pointed look. "Will you confess that a merman told you these things?"

Sanji paused, thinking about it. "Well…I'd…um…make the owner nervous. Make him regret that I'd survived."

"The bodies will never be found," Law warned, "because the merfolk had already taken over what was left."

Squeamish, Sanji asked tentatively, "Eating them?"

Law didn't answer, searching for his friends. When he didn't find them, he exhaled harshly. "Then, let's return you. Shachi has wandered off, so I will drag you back there if I have to."

"Just direct me in the right direction, I can use this to kick while supporting myself. You insult my abilities, you scumbag."

"You are a weak and stupid human that keeps floating to nowhere."

"Oh! Don't get too cocky, fish face, I'll have you know, I'd almost beat that sharkman to death with my words, and you ruined the opportunity I had," Sanji said with a huff, pushing the useless craft while stroking the water to get somewhere. Law rolled his eyes, examining the situation before pushing upward to grab the human by his waist. Sanji shrieked, kicking wildly, causing Law alarm as he released him. Coughing, Sanji said, "Don't you dare handle me like some burlap bag of potatoes, damn it. I've some pride as a man."

"Is that more important than common sense? I was only going to pull you while you held your breath!"

"Now, see here! That's outrageous action! I could die!"

"You want to stay out here and die, then do so. But," Law warned, "I've more questions and you would have no way of escaping me when I ask."

Sanji considered this threat, trying not to show any amusement. "You'd talk me to literal death, then."

"I've seen plenty of dead humans, seeing one more won't affect my lifespan." Law reached out to touch the red skin that caused Sanji's face to swell slightly, the tip of his nose brilliant in the dark. "You've spent too much underwater. Penguin says that humans' skin turns red because of it."

"No," Sanji corrected, catching that cold hand, "our skin turns red because the sun cooks us. And the heat reflects off the water and amps up the cooking process. I'm sunburnt, and because of it, my skin is also irritated due to the salt rubbing up against my skin. The only affect from being underwater is having no air."

"That makes more sense," Law admitted. "Sometimes Penguin is wrong."

"Penguin is a fat fluffy fish that can't walk right on land. Of course he is."

"Penguin is an animal that migrates a certain path each year, and yearns for a family of his own. He desires to hatch an egg, and have a wife. Fish only care for breeding and eating."

"So, what applies to you guys?" Sanji asked curiously, running his fingertips over the back of Law's hands, feeling the drying webbing there. "Is that something you guys do, too? Or are you like humans? Seeking marriage to carry on your bloodline, to combing families to create power?"

"I don't know anything about that aspect, because I'm not interested in it," Law said flatly. "I don't desire a family or companion."

"Some humans don't. They seek adventure and danger – seek out new places and new lives, convinced a family could only hold them back. If I should not find any more work on the seas, I'd wanted to travel to different places to learn to cook different dishes."

Law examined the hand that held his. His heart was pounding once more, feeling the slight kick of Sanji's feet against him. Once he realized that he was more interested in listening to Sanji speak than on the concept of breathing, he pulled away from the human, ducking under the water with panic. Sanji closed his fingers into a fist, hissing as he realized what had happened.

Law swam in a slow circle, trying to pull his head on straight. His eyes were dry, his gills stiff, and his skin was slowly reabsorbing moisture. The images of the wreckage came back to mind, and he struggled to focus. He returned to Sanji's side, startling the human as he gripped the pieces of wood.

"This will break if I pull upon it," Law told him, demonstrating with one hand and causing Sanji a look of consternation, "therefore, you may either flounder here like kelp that's lost its root, or you can accept my offer."

"I think," Sanji said slowly, pulling at his shirt with discomfort, "that i'd prefer the killer whale's hand in this. Er, flipper. Because, for me to hold onto a man – "

"Why do you feel that way?" Law then asked him curiously. "If companions are of the same sex, then the earth isn't going to break. Populations won't fail – opposite genders often fail to rear families due to various circumstances, and companions of the same sex take over on the opportunity, to rear the child themselves."

Sanji stared at him in mute silence, then his eyes darted everywhere to rest to avoid looking into those lecturing amber eyes. "In our area of the earth," he said slowly, "it is forbidden for same sex relationships to flourish, as it is against the Bible's teachings. Men cannot lay with other men – "

"But it happens."

"…Yes."

"You've seen it? You're aware of it, because if it wasn't something that existed, then you wouldn't know of it. But the fact that you fear it – "

"Yes, yes - !"

"Then why listen to somebody that insists their way is right when you clearly have trouble accepting their orders?" Law asked with exasperation. "I wander on my own because I don't want to live that sort of detailed life, to follow someone else's rules."

"Of course," he then added as Sanji frowned at him, "some rules are common sense, in my sense, but others just fail to convince me that it fits me. So, on that note, someone like you, who is convinced that you were treated unfairly, why do you continue to allow yourself the discomfort of following those rules?"

Sanji exhaled heavily, looking up at the sky. He followed the flourishing streak of pink and white across the canvas, watching as twin stars flashed and flared before disappearing.

"When you grow up being told these things," he said slowly, looking at Law, "aren't you convinced that they are the right thing to abide to?"

"I was told all my life to avoid humans," Law returned, just as quietly and as intensely, "and yet here I am, talking to one."

In the silence that followed, Sanji watched him apprehensively. Law's words made sense, and his own weakening resolve on the failure of confidence in his own teachings was starting to fall away. He recognized that that longer he struggled to survive out here, the more convinced he was that believing in these teachings were giving him nothing but false promises.

It was easy to feel this way when he'd already doubted himself, but he also recognized that the longer he looked into eyes that looked into him similarly, the weaker his resolve.

"What I feel," Sanji said cautiously, "isn't the same as what you do. I am…something you've never had the opportunity to experience, before. I'm an oddity to you."

"Aren't I to you?"

"Yes…yes, you are. But – "

"Then it's the same."

"Is it, stupid?" Sanji watched him closely, barely blinking. Without his craft to support him, he had nothing else to steady him. So his hand reached out to hold onto the merman, his palm hot compared to the slick skin he came into contact with. When his fingers tightened, he could feel the weight of the muscle there. It caused his heart to quicken. "When you look at me, do you think you look at me the same way as I look at you?"

Law gave him a puzzled look. But he looked at the hand that clutched at his biceps. The heat from Sanji's touch was dazzling in a sense – because it was different, because he hadn't the urge to shake away. He didn't feel any danger, he didn't feel any warning. Just heat and dry softness from something he'd never experienced, before. But then he looked into Sanji's face, taking the time to allow his distorted vision to adjust and focus on the fact that Sanji was _looking_ at him.

Self conscious, Law turned away to gain some space, but he didn't distance his body from the human. There was that feeling again. That nervous excitement that made his heart race, that made his stomach uneasy but in a new way that wasn't discomfiting: just new, something that could be experienced again.

Sanji pulled at him, sinking into the water. Law followed, realizing hastily that he needed the breath. His gills expanded and gulped, eyes blinking rapidly to adjust. Sanji adjusted his hands to hold onto his shoulders, kicking to at least be near. Law helped him by settling his webbed fingers at Sanji's waist, holding him in place. Sanji couldn't see him very well – shadows and amber – but the solid shape in front of him told him enough. Here under the water, the world was different – it was just them. Not breaking eye contact, he pulled close to the merman so that their bodies brushed against each other. Law held him, not sure why the tension had rocketed, why his fingers moved so confidently to hold the human close.

Air bubbles escaped when Sanji smiled at him, and Law could see it clearly as his vision adjusted. He could see all of the human, and his eyes found other various details that made him want to look for more. Now that he knew what a sunburn was, he brushed his fingertips over the irritated skin, causing Sanji a nervous look, but earning trusting eyes in return. His pale hand reached up to cover the back of Law's, Law fumbling ever so slightly as he realized the extent of the ability Ivankov mentioned.

He could heal a human, but hurt another merfolk – what was Ivankov hinting at when he'd mentioned it? Law couldn't remember. Sanji's eyelashes caught air bubbles, and when he blinked under the water, they'd escape and rise like shimmering motes caught in the sunlight. His blond hair waved around his head, exposing all of his face; allowing Law to trace the shape of his eyebrows with a fingertip. Sanji self consciously pulled out of that investigative touch, smiling at him. One of his bare feet touched Law's hips, briefly pulled at the fin that kept Law steady, and it caused a different sensation to shoot through the merman like a jolt.

It took Law a few moments to admit quietly, "When I look at you, I…grow nervous about the feelings that accompany it. I don't know what they are."

Sanji absorbed the words, then nodded. "I feel the same way."

"That's why you were afraid in the first place?"

Sanji nodded without answering verbally, his jaw tensing. His white shirt was ghostly within the dark recesses of the sea, wavering around him much like his hair. The water was cold, his skin was warning him that this temperature wasn't comfortable, but his attention was riveted to the being in front of him. He couldn't resist touching that tanned face, thumbs moving over splotches of white. Enthralled by the sensation of alien skin and bone structure. His lungs started to protest, and he realized, once more, that they were not the same species. It felt like a slap to the face to be reminded of this.

He tugged away and returned to the surface, Law watching him go with mild discomfort. The spell broken, he exhaled harshly. He returned to the surface as Sanji breathed slowly, trying to center his thoughts.

"You're a fish, I'm a man," Sanji pointed out, rather raggedly. "This strange thing between us – there are some aspects of it that prevent – either of us any common sense!"

Law couldn't argue with that. He didn't know what to say, either.

"So…"

He looked up as Sanji reached out to sling an arm around his shoulders, careful to avoid covering his gills. He looked embarrassed as he pulled himself close to Law, his body warm and stiff against his.

"You absolutely need to make finding this…Ivankov a priority," Sanji stated, Law's arm tentatively rising to steady him at the waist, setting space between them so that Sanji's feet could move without hitting him, "and find out what can be done about it."

"To pull the spell?"

"Whatever it is."

"But we would no longer be able to speak to each other," Law mumbled reluctantly.

Sanji looked at him, waiting for Law to catch his expression. Up close, Sanji couldn't help but admire the merman's regal features. Moving from a concentrative brow, to somewhat angry eyes, the straight nose, the scowling lips. _So much of him is human_ , he thought wondrously. _Until I catch sight of everything else._ The tension was so strong between them, drifting around them like static electricity.

The white shirt Sanji wore was growing darker with various stains, but it was opened and now ripped at the sleeve, and there were buttons missing. So the undershirt that he reconnected at the shoulders with small knots was revealed to the onlooker, and the holes in that looked like teeth marks at the banded bottom. But flashes of his exposed skin still caught Law's attention, and he was noticing the smaller differences.

Despite what he wanted, the human either had to be rescued by other humans or lose his battle against the obvious elements. The shadows and crevices that Law had noticed before seemed to be deepening. With his free hand, he reached up to touch a throat that swallowed hard at the contact, registering the sensation of burrs of hair stubble and cold skin against his fingertips. The Adam's Apple that took an exploring fingertip to encircle it, the tendons that allowed a tracing line to collarbone.

Sanji grimaced, catching his hand to stop its exploration, clutching it tightly. "Please stop…"

"Does it hurt?"

"…No, but…I…I…" Sanji exhaled harshly, pushing Law's hand back to his side and reluctantly letting go. He couldn't really explain it without sounding like an absolute pervert, but his body was on fire from being touched in this manner. All his blood was going straight to his dick, and Sanji was mortified by it. If he brought any verbal attention to it, he thought Law would be curious about that too, and Sanji couldn't take thinking more into it. "Give me a moment while I die…"

"If you can talk, you're not dying," Law said impatiently, a little angry at the interruption. Also a little embarrassed by his actions – he'd just lost track of himself when exploring and being reminded that he was invading someone else's personal space – skin – had his mind whirling back into place. All the while that electricity seemed to pull and collect around them, and it was even doing some odd things to his own body. He could feel it warming his veins, pound at his chest, urge on sensations he hadn't felt before.

Sanji looked at him sharply, catching his tone. It sobered him up a little, caused his thoughts to stop racing off in various directions. His heart pounded so noisily in his head that he thought Law could hear it. He reached up between them to cup the merman's face, watching Law's reaction with care. His thumbs drew small circles at Law's hairy chin – bristly, like Sanji's leg hair – and the way Law watched him was a combination of expectation and nervousness, and it still blew Sanji away to see this. Sanji felt Law's hands glide to his waist, holding him in place – felt cold, steely fingers disregard the material of his banded undershirt and touch his ribs, his skin reacting with a shiver.

"It's cold," he whispered harshly, struggling not to react.

"You're so warm," Law told him, marveling at the feel of Sanji's skin under his palms.

"You're a _pervert_ -I want to slap you, but…I have to confess, I would like to be touched…more."

Sanji then adjust his hands down to Law's chest, feeling out the board pectorals there. His thumb smoothed over one dark nipple, watching Law's face cautiously in reaction. Law himself gave a surprised inhale – oddly reminding Sanji at this moment that the merman breathed through his gills, not his nose – but his facial expression didn't show any rejection. This time, Sanji slowed his touch, circling the areole with a fingertip before lightly palm then flattened over the area, fingers lightly clutching before drawing down to abs seemingly made of steel. His own breath left him with harsh excitement.

 _Never EVER would have found myself appreciating another man's body_ \- ! His thought was ragged and in disbelief at his own actions.

He had time to inhale before Law drew him underwater, shirt flapping around his armpits before he could move. He thought the merman was going to drown him - _something_ \- so he was surprised, unable to gasp or breathe out when Law ripped his undershirt open and pulled them close together, chest to chest. Sanji was aching hard at this moment, doing his best to keep his hips back, looking up at the moon overhead to coax himself not to do something stupid, like inhale water and ruin everything.

But his back arched as he felt the fishman's palms against his shoulder blades, touching and learning him at with seemingly barely restrained strength. Sanji's own arms encircled Law's waist, his hands finding the merman's lower back and feeling out the steely muscle there. _There was no way he'd ever feel the same_ , Sanji reflected, closing his eyes as his palms moved over skin slick with oil. _This should be wrong – this should be wrong, but I can't stop myself!_

Law was thinking the same thing, but he was burning inside. Filled with mounting desire, his blood hot – it was the first time he'd felt such lust, and convincing himself with some type of rationale wasn't working. Every time he touched the human's skin, he wanted more of it. He wanted more time to explore the planes and crevices, to investigate the wispy blond hairs under the human's armpits, to taste the curve of the human's neck as he looked up at the surface with a pained expression. Merfolk had ways to express themselves – they cuddled, groped, kissed and slithered over each other, satisfying each other. He'd seen various ways of them doing so – didn't matter the gender, the species – it was an obvious indication of perfecting a companionship or seeking relief. He'd always watched with disgust – _get a cave!_ – but never thought he'd feel that type of outrageous hunger. Touch and the thought of being touched made his skin itchy, his discomfort levels riveting to a point where he just didn't want anyone touching him the way he'd seen merfolk touch each other.

 _What did humans do?_ His fingertips scratched down the length of Sanji's back, hitting the frustrating material of pants that were absurdly high up his ribs. Every part of Law was strumming with energy, and he was aching for more sensation, more grip, to find new ways of expressing himself. His every breath felt like it was quick and hot, and he wasn't sure what it stemmed from – need or restraint. His rationale wasn't working – his brain seemed to be storming with _What's This? What's This? What's This?,_ and _More, More, More_!

 _Don't you dare get naked,_ Sanji told himself, gritting his teeth. He felt Law's fingers tug at his high-waistband. _Don't you_ dare _let him pull off your pants! Your anatomy is not the same – get your blood back to your damn head!_

Yet he couldn't fight these feelings, his hands finding the back of Law's head, fingers combing through absurdly soft hair that felt like moss and soft, downy feathers. He felt Law's hands grip and mold to the shape of his back, drawing down over his ass and down the back of his thighs. Fingers sliding over and gripping areas Sanji would have never allowed of a human man.

 _Where are his parts?_ Law wondered.

 _God can't see me down here_ , Sanji reasoned with himself, opening and curling his legs around strong hips. He clung to the merman with his thighs, managed to pull Law's hands from his body to get his attention. _So whatever happens…well, I'm a man._

 _Oh, that is so weird,_ Law thought wondrously as he looked down at Sanji's legs wrapping around him. _They're like another set of arms – they're oddly stronger than his upper limbs._

He looked to Sanji with surprise, his hands escaping Sanji's to touch and feel the human's legs around his hips. Sanji's hair floated around his face and head like golden moss, and Law pushed it away from his face. From the expression on the human's face, Sanji couldn't really see him under the water, but Law could take in every detail. Sanji's face assured Law that he felt the same way towards him – that expression was unmistakable. Lust was obvious in every feature, which made Law's blood rise in temperature. Sanji suddenly gripped his face as Law grasped his thighs, fingers squeezing at thigh muscles that were deceptive in strength.

"Please tell me that's just a fin of yours poking me," Sanji wheezed, fingers tight on Law's jaw.

"I have no fins in front of me," Law assured him, his tone nearly hysterical because _what was he doing_?

"Fucking hell," Sanji choked out, head tilting back as he struggled for a clear head. His muscles tightened with apprehension and fear, but his body said Go For It. He rubbed up against the merman's steel front, seeking relief. Upon feeling that, Law had to look down. He remembered seeing flashes of pink, odd protrusions of body parts that were barely hidden underneath more damning cloth.

 _Ah. Here_ , he thought victoriously, his hands pushing on Sanji's hips to ease the strength of his thighs gripping him. He adjusted the human to settle the apex of his thighs over the burgeoning rise of his own organ, which was peeking out from the thin veil of glittery oil-colored scales in front of him. _Here is where it happens_.

 _Shit, I can't breathe_ , Sanji thought in a panic, but he felt the adjustments made to his body, felt the strong poke of something hard against him. He squeezed his eyes shut, allowing his legs to grip lower around the strong tail that kept them both steady. _I need air…! I need air but this – I need this too!_

At the strong stroke against his dick, Sanji saw white spots form in his vision. His lungs were constricting, but he answered that stroke with his own.

 _Laying with a man is a sin, so what does laying with a half-man, half-fish get me?_ He thought hysterically, fingers digging into biceps as he clung. Bubbles escaped from his gritting teeth, sound leaving his throat. _Is there another place other than Hell for people like me?_

Law pulled Sanji's hips closer, adjusting him roughly now that he had a taste of what the motion produced. His arms wrapped tightly around the human's hips and backside, cradling to continue the pressure and movement. His scales disagreed with the feeling of cloth, catching on Sanji's pants but the stroking sensation of organ against organ produced a hot, feverish sensation that was hard to stop.

 _Oh_ , he kept thinking, his mind fuzzy with pleasure. _Oh. Oh. That's why…So that's why_ …!

He'd seen merfolk curl and slither around each other, their lower halves bound by the act, fins and tales moving in hypnotizing motion against each other. Clinging and touching while water churned and sand misted by the upset. But their bodies weren't covered by clothes, and they were merfolk – not human. Somewhere in Law's mind, he knew it was strange to feel this way for something that wasn't even his species, but if they were both males, if both of them felt the exact same way in receiving pleasure…then how was it wrong?

Sanji pushed against his chest, feeling sick to the stomach. It occurred to him that they were constantly moving, almost twisting in reaction to action. His mind was hazy – from lack of air, from the height of the moment, from twisted pleasure that felt too good to escape – and his limbs felt weak and numb. But he moved his hips urgently, seeking constant friction to reduce the ache. His clothes were in the way – his skin and body needed more contact. Law's hands were strong and forceful, the grip to hold him in place unforgiving but Sanji could feel him bucking and stroking, seeking similar friction.

But the urgent need to escape, to breathe, screamed at all his senses. He uncurled his legs and pushed hard, kicking off Law with a scramble for the surface. Law grunted in pain and surprise as he launched off his body to head for the surface, and it took Law that time to recover from the mind numbing haze to realize what he was doing. Sanji gasped for air, swiping his hair from his face as his wheezing sounded off the water around him. His heart was slamming against his chest, beating so hard that he could hear it echoing around him. His body was trembling, his blood hot and rushing to everywhere but his head.

Once faced with the stars, Sanji felt his face burn with horror and humiliation, shame. But he couldn't go back, now. He'd delved and touched, he'd experienced and felt the last of his defenses crumble for pleasure, so it didn't make sense to stop now. It made more sense to finish and feel at least satisfactory doing it, then suffer blue balls and cry in shame. So he filled his lungs with air and pushed back under, searching for the other man – _creature_. Law caught sight of him returning, and pulled him close, Sanji hastily unzipping his pants, shoving aside the button. He awkwardly pulled his pants down to his thighs, immediately pushing up against the other half-man's stomach. The washboard sensation of ridges, flesh and strength made him shudder before he clapped a hand over his mouth to prevent from breathing out. Unable to move his legs, he awkwardly forced Law's arm around his naked hips. It was difficult using words at this point, when his mind was hot with need.

Law obeyed the command, pushing and adjusting Sanji back down his own hips. Sanji reached down to adjust himself flat against oily scales, finding it wondrously soft and yet firm with ridges that felt like a fish's belly. He struggled not to think, just needing the sensations back again. He felt a long, slithering length push up atop of his balls and through his pubic hair, aligning with his own dick. His hands automatically searched, wheezing air bubbles at the feel of something so alien and yet so similar. Law jolted at the feel of Sanji touching him, encircling his dick within the soft, firm grasp of his hands, his own hands grasping Sanji's pale hips with strength.

 _It was a different sort of slime_ , Sanji thought vaguely, stroking while trusting Law to hold him in place against him. _Makes it easier_.

The feel of Sanji's flesh caught Law's attention, feeling flexing muscle, tendons and bones that pressed against his palms. But when he dropped grip from hip to ass, the muscle different there. Firm, hard and rounded, stretching into thighs that seemed to shake under his grasp. Sanji's skin felt more tender here, softer – but the muscle was hard to dismiss. Law pulled in close to Sanji, practically curling against his chest, his face against Sanji's neck and shoulders. Grabbing both globes of ass against his palms, Law could force Sanji to rub against him, skin gripping against skin. The difference was sensational, causing a different sort of friction Law couldn't imagine in another merfolk. When his dick pushed through the varying textures of Sanji's body against his thighs, there was something different. Sanji's body hair was bristly but his skin was soft, ridged in various places. So when Law's dick stroked him, he received a different sort of sensation that made his blood race. Sanji wanted to kick out of his pants, but the merman gripped him so strongly that it was as if trying to escape steel. He had to reset himself. If he lost his pants, what was he going to do after this? Use his shirt as a dress?

He struggled not to inhale, not to gasp. It felt like his pleasure was heightened by this restraint. All he could do was _feel_ , his body reaching out and gripping onto every different sensation and texture they produced between each other. All thought out the window, he just wanted to satisfy his body's craving as he searched for satisfaction. He felt Law's dick pull away from his pubic area, push up between his thighs. It made his body nervous – his anus clench in reaction. _No_.

But that slippery dick nudged up and past, sliding like a tickle under his balls. It almost made Sanji's eyes roll back. His throat tightened, and he almost inhaled sharply, but he clapped a hand over his nose and mouth to prevent it. He heard Law growl, thrusting up against him with sharp movements; Sanji could feel that strong tail steadying them both, churning the water. He wanted to inhale so badly, white sparks exploding behind his closed eyelids; the feel of being sawed by something strong, and yet soft and slippery – a curious mixture of textures against his sensitive parts – made his movements sloppy. He crossed his ankles, thighs tightening around Law's moving dick – when Law exhaled harshly, arms wrapping around Sanji's hips and lower back to hold him tightly, Sanji felt the air squeezed out of him. He had to breathe, but he needed this as well. Determined to get to the end, to experience the climax that was just waiting to explode. The water made every movement and sensation so different, numbing and frustratingly tough to reach. But the other factors – he was making it with a fucking _merman_ – the inability to breathe, being crushed, being used, _sinning_ – made the experience that much more frantic and unbelievable.

He had to breathe, but he couldn't stop his own hips from pressing against moving tail scales and muscle, his own dick being massaged by powerful hips. The feeling was right there – he was _right there,_ and he just needed that tip over the edge. Law's fingers adjusted grip over Sanji's ass, and one of his fingers inadvertently touched Sanji's anus. The action made him clench his cheeks in reaction, already twisting his head frantically with a 'No!'. But the tip of the finger pushed in, delving and causing all these myriad of sensations to explode in Sanji, his body clenching and holding tight onto that finger even, as his blood seemed to explode and his lungs cried out as the orgasm released with blinding strength.

The seizing of Sanji's body caused Law to pause, jerking back to look at him with alarm. Once he realized that Sanji was falling limp in his grasp, Law hastily jerked him to the surface, practically lunging out of the water to get Sanji some air. The human coughed and sputtered, clumsily throwing his arm around Law's shoulders as he breathed in short gasps, panicked at how lightheaded he was. Law watched him in alarm, quite certain he'd nearly killed the human. Once he was able to stabilize himself, Sanji began to laugh – a manic sound, Law watching him with rising alarm and lack of understanding. Using Law to support him, Sanji hastily kicked out of one trouser, careful to check that both trouser and underwear were still clinging to his other leg.

With haste, he said, "Get yours, too. Don't let it go."

"Are you okay?"

"I've never felt better! Don't you dare stick that thing in me, but do what you need to," Sanji said, wiggling up against him so that he could capture that slippery dick between his thighs. He gulped in air, careful to wrap his arms around the merman's chest, just underneath his armpits. He signaled for Law to return underwater, the whites of his eyes spotted with bursts of broken blood vessels. Returning underwater, Sanji allowed Law to fit and adjust to him to his preference, Sanji's mind dazed and whirling with the aftereffects of an orgasm. His entire body felt numb, but his lower half was tingling hot.

 _Forgive me Father_ , Sanji thought dazedly, feeling Law's hands grip his hips. Sanji's skin rippled with sensation at the feel of that slippery merman dick sliding back and forth over his still tingling balls, and he closed his eyes out of pleasure. _For I have sinned, and I don't regret it in the least_ …


	5. Chapter 5

**Shadow:5**

* * *

Penguin crunched noisily on the charred remains of a seagull, wincing as he did so. Shachi was tossing and playing with his share as birds shrieked at them from the shore. Managing to use his flippers to hold the stick steady, Penguin picked pieces from the cooked bird that had its wings arms caught in a permanent flight gesture. The taste was a bit new, but it tasted like seagull to him. His eyes stung as he ripped cooked pieces of muscle from the bone with a rather jarring jerk of his head.

"I don't know," he commented, beak moving as he struggle to gulp it down. "It tastes a little undercooked to me. What you think, Shachi?"

"All I taste is a weird, salty flavor, and something's stuck in my teeth. Might be a feather," Shachi commented, looking up from the floating remains around him. The seagulls on the shore were shrieking madness, furious and horrified by the acts they'd witnessed. "Can you check it for me?"

Penguin shook his head from side to side, spatting bones onto the water. "No, I'm busy. Plus, I'm only eating this one – kinda on a diet."

"Seriously, Penguin? It's about time."

"YOU HUSH!"

"Here, maybe take one of these before you actually diet, you fat freak. No wonder you're so scared to death of seals, look at that belly of yours."

"SHACHI!"

The orca laughed, tossing his head from side to side as Penguin hit the water with indignation. Both of them looked over to their left, mood changing as they watched the human and their merman friend speak low to each other in the water; suddenly in a courting mood. The abrupt change didn't make any sense to the animals after what they'd witnessed the past few days, but suddenly the pair were all hands and words and Law seemed to wear a guilty look when he returned to the deep to sleep.

"Y'know," Penguin murmured as Shachi joined him, crunching noisily on the charred corpses he'd been playing with, "something happened, something's…changed."

"I don't know, I got the same feeling," Shachi agreed, burping. "That human seems to be more afraid of water than ever, holding onto Law like that."

"Yeah, yeah," Penguin said suspiciously, "when did he get so afraid of water after he's been trying to swim the length of the world? And why's Law being so helpful?"

"I get that he gets an urchin spine up the tail sometimes, but…he's…overly helpful now," Shachi agreed, both of them tilting their heads with curiosity as both heads slowly dipped underneath the moving waves of the gentle sea. Thunder shook over their heads, lightening zigzagging in the distance. The passing storm had bathed the island with rain, caused the birds to sing, and all that was left over was frothing dark blue water and churning slaps of foam against a darkened shore. "Maybe he's showing the human how to hold his breath?"

"Hmm…maybe. Every time the water churns in their area, it's filthy. Filthy, I tell ya."

"Oh, yes. That's definitely egg fertilizer in the general sea area," Shachi agreed. "But…can they do that? Humans?"

"I mean…everything reproduces, right?" Penguin shrugged. "Maybe he's in a experimenting mood."

"Humans lay eggs, don't they?"

"I've never seen a tiny human, before…merfolk kids, yes, I might've seen them shoot out a few, but…it's like a whale birth. Humans…I'm not sure."

"I only see tiny humans when they're tossed high in the hair," Shachi confessed, "but never any eggs. They must have them on lands."

"I've seen a few humans that looked like they carry full pouches like a seahorse, but…hell, let's go ask. I feel like we're watching something we're not supposed to," Penguin decided, disappearing underwater, Shachi following.

Sure enough, there were hands roving everywhere, and the animals noticed the pair just watching each other. There was a heavy tension in the water that made Penguin think he was interrupting, but how bad could it be when both faces were soft and there were genuine smiles? The human seemed to have forgotten what the sun did to his skin, because somewhere on the shore he'd left his dingy white shirt and black trousers.

"Hey, human," Penguin said, inserting himself close and causing both of them to push away from each other with startled expressions. When the human returned to the surface, the other two followed. Penguin whipped his head from side to side to see better. "How do humans have babies?"

"Babies?" Sanji repeated, a little dazed after being interrupted. Law was frowning at Penguin, impatiently slapping water at the bird that only ruffled himself with a tight shake of his upper body. "Uh, well, women…get pregnant."

"They carry the eggs?"

"Inside their bodies," Sanji confirmed with a look of uncertainty, wiping his hair from his face. "Then, uh, when they get married, they…well, they, uh, mate with their husbands, and nine months later – "

"What's that? Like, three moons?"

"More than just three - ! Uh – they….have the child," Sanji finished. "I haven't seen it personally, but…it's a lot of blood and screaming. Some have had their children on ships, and all I see is…well, the staff have told me the tales. They, uh, push them out."

" _Eggs_?"

"No, humans. Like…like whales, dolphins?"

"Do they have the same skin as you?"

"Of course! Why?" Sanji then asked him, furrowing his brow, glancing from him to Law, who was wearing a thoughtful expression as he held half of his face atop of the water. "Why the twenty questions about how humans are birthed?"

"Shachi and I – "

"I didn't say a thing!" Shachi cried in outrage.

"We're kinda wondering if that's what's happening here."

"Males – human males – can't have children," Sanji fumbled, reddening while Law rolled his eyes impatiently. "We, uh, just…fertilize things. The woman does all the work. The man takes care of her."

"The food," Penguin said with a nod, "but your mouths are so small."

"OBVIOUSLY we don't regurgitate things into each other's mouths! Preposterous!"

"I'm not having children," Law said firmly, inserting himself into the conversation with a stern tone. "Quite plainly, Penguin, I've discovered sex."

Sanji slapped his own face with horror, shocked that it was spoken so openly and so obviously. He dragged his fingers down and over his mouth, trying to pull his thoughts back together while humiliation warmed him from the core.

"Males can’t get each other pregnant," Law told Penguin. "That's the positive aspect of it."

"Merfolk are so shameless," Penguin muttered. "Getting their tails off to whatever comes along!"

"Nothing different from other creatures. Why should I feel ashamed when discovering another aspect of myself that I had yet to discover?"

"True."

"This is something that should be kept between the two people involved! You shouldn't speak of our business in front of your _friends_!" Sanji exclaimed with shock.

"I mean, you're doing it in a whole ocean," Penguin said skeptically, "in front of all our eyes."

" _Hegh_!"

"Why is there shame in that tone?" Law asked him, causing Sanji to swallow tightly.

"Humans," he explained, feeling a little too naked in front of too many eyes, despite his earlier actions and lack of inhibition so far, "are taught that the…the things we do…with other persons…are private and for our own ears only. These things to show…er…appreciation and…affection are limited to those two persons only."

" _Why_?" Penguin and Law asked with confused expressions.

"Because! It's a private expression! Between you two and God!"

"Three people, then? Who is 'God'?" Penguin exclaimed, looking around himself with a whip of his head.

"I can't explain that to a _penguin_ ," Sanji muttered with frustration.

"There is no such thing as privacy from others when sex is involved," Law stated. "I watched because it was vulgar and nasty – "

"You _watched_ -?" Sanji gasped. "You just watched random strangers…?"

" – and I couldn't imagine what was so important to writhe about in such a disgusting fashion – "

"If it feels good, it feels good!" Penguin insisted over Law's disgusted mutter. "No matter the species! I've found that dolphins themselves are always ready for a go, no matter my size. And trust me, I've pleased _many_ a female dolphin."

"A sight I wish I could unsee," Law whispered with a troubled expression before dipping his upper body back under the water, Penguin waving him off. Sanji stared at the bird with wide eyes, horrified at the imagery that fluttered over his vision. But while he couldn't imagine the details, he was struck dumb at the thought of a dolphin and penguin getting their rocks off.

"So, you're telling me humans have reservations?" Penguin asked Sanji with incredulity.

"…Er, well…this is…this is certainly a shock to absorb, so maybe I don't have any right answers," Sanji whispered.

"Hey, it's no business of mine," Penguin then decided, "because I was just wondering if that's what this is about. A human trying to have a mermaid baby."

"…No."

"It's just sex," Law affirmed to Penguin, poking his head out from the water once more.

"Okay."

"It's not _just_ sex," Sanji said breathlessly, giving Law an alarmed look. "I mean…from the sounds of it, you animals just think…"

He trailed off clumsily, eyes darting here and there while Law and Penguin looked at him with expectations. Shachi ventured closer, trying to hear the conversation. After taking a deep breath and releasing a heavy exhale, Sanji finished with, "I mean, sure, it's just sex. Something that feels good. I…I'm going to die after all, I should get some pleasure from what's left of it."

"I mean, that's a given," Penguin agreed, hitting him with a flipper.

"If you were meant to die," Law said impatiently, "you'd have already done so."

Sanji covered his face with both hands then swiped them aside. "I understand that I am holding a conversation with a merman and a penguin _and_ a killer whale, so any expectations of any human understanding of shame and horror couldn't be _understood_ \- !"

"You humans are so _modest_ ," Penguin scoffed. "Wearing clothes, not having sex - !"

"And this is why we are evolved," Sanji stressed, "because of these things."

"'Evolved'?" Law questioned, narrowing his eyes. "Are you suggesting you're more superior than us?"

"Not exactly," Sanji said hurriedly.

"Because in the water, you're weak and flimsy. On land, yes, you might be the superior creature, but under the water, absolutely not."

"I understand that."

"Oh, so, before you both put me to sleep outta sheer boredom," Penguin interrupted with a wave of his head, "I just wanted to ask about babies. You answered my question. I'm going to one up Shachi with what I know."

"I'm like, right here," Shachi reminded him impatiently as Penguin dove under the water, the killer whale chasing after him.

Sanji and Law looked at each other, Sanji sighing heavily. He began moving towards shore, Law fluttering in front of him.

"Let us finish."

"No, I'm not in the mood any further for this," Sanji said, kicking him underwater to clear his path. "Frankly, my head has been cleared."

"It sounds like you're mad because Penguin said some upsetting things."

"This entire conversation," Sanji trailed off, treading the water, looking up to the judge the storm's direction. Lightening lit up the horizon in the north – too far to be a threat. While the ocean was gentler around the island, the sea beyond looked like a frothy, building blur of grey and black. The smell of rain lingered, powerfully strong over the salt and scum of the water he swam in. He then shook his head. "Law, had this conversation happened between humans, you would understand."

"But I'm not a human, so what should I understand?"

"Humans have certain reservations to them that involves not discussing _sex_ ," Sanji lowered his voice to speak of the word like a foul thing, "amongst their friends like it were…a casual sport. Sex between humans – well, I understand it's…it's a powerful thing, it's what men fight wars for, BUT - !"

"So, humans don't have it casually?"

"Er…let me hastily correct that. Of course, it can be bought – "

"I don't understand the difference between 'bought' and casual – isn't that the same thing?"

"It is - !"

"Then why are you suggesting it's wrong because we've discovered it together?"

"Because humans and merpeople should not be – intersecting in such ways! Especially if they are the same sex! I don't regret it," Sanji then said hastily as Law scowled at him, "I don't, I mean…I believe I'm beyond any sort of redemption, but I've grown up being told that laying with men are a sin, and certainly, laying with sea creatures is the same type of sin! These types of things linger, y'know?"

"Again with this 'God'! What can it do when it has already abandoned you?"

Sanji sighed noisily once more, looking up at the sky. "I know _, I know_ \- !"

"But – "

"Some humans can have sex casually, but this - ! This is my first time! My first – I - !"

"So? It is mine as well. Now I understand why merfolk choose to do it so much."

Sanji gave him a skeptical look. "You've _never_ …? I don't believe you."

"Why?"

'Why', _he says, with his stupidly perfect face_! Sanji thought furiously, gritting his teeth.

Law wasn't sure why Sanji was looking at him like that, but he shrugged his broad shoulders. "Like I said, it looked stupid. But now that I know what I know, it isn't as stupid as I thought. Now…"

"I was taught that I'd marry someone, a woman," Sanji stressed, hand to his own chest, "and that would be it for the rest of my life. So, therefore, in that sense, you can say my feelings are involved. Because I…"

"But you're convinced this is the rest of your life, so…"

"Stop talking sense to me!" Sanji snarled at him, making wide strokes back towards the shore, Law looking after him in bewilderment. "It's making me furious!"

Waving his hands about with confusion, Law watched him go. Then he ducked underneath the water, intercepting his path by inserting himself in front of him. Sanji pushed at him.

"So, you are angry at _me_ for _your_ choices?" Law asked.

Sanji glanced around himself, biting his lip out of frustration. He then looked at Law, who wore such a irritated expression that it made Sanji feel a bit guilty. _Of course a merman wouldn't understand a human's predicamen_ t, he thought sullenly. He reached out to cup the merman's cheek, steadying himself against him.

"I'm not sure what I'm angry and frustrated about," he confessed. "More than likely, it's my own upbringing that is causing my moral confusion. Being reminded of it is just…it's causing a war inside of me."

"Humans are so stupid," Law muttered bitterly, Sanji squeezing his cheek in response before pushing away from him.

"And you're a selfish fish! I should be attempting to find this stupid island the birds had come from to find some civilization, not traipsing about like a tramp that just discovered what his prick can do!"

"Humans have caused each other harm since they were created," Law reminded him impatiently, "so for you to not renounce your upbringing because they've attempted to harm you too – "

"Yes, yes, I know _, I know_!"

" – it's just stupid and illogical thinking. Out here, you can think however you want, within reason, for your own pleasure and benefit. It works best. That is how I live."

Sanji paused in mid-stroke to look back at him. He could touch the shallow shore, and his feet gripped the sand with comfort. Fish darted around them – he could feel their fleeing bodies slam around his calves and knees, cursing him for the interruption.

"In that sense," he said slowly, "I should abandon all that makes me _me_ , and just thrive for the remainder of this life as something…unbinding and savage? Who would I be without those things?"

Law gave him a blank look and a shrug.

"Why even go back?" Law asked sullenly, swimming around him, sand misting over Sanji's vision of the shallow. "There is no point now that you've had a taste of freedom."

"I'm a stubborn man when it comes to survival, I guess," Sanji muttered, crossing his arms as he shivered. "I mean, twice, I thought I was going to die, but here I am…"

"Here you are…you're so dramatic."

" _You_ \- !" Sanji snarled at him, indignant, but he couldn't be that angry when the fishman was making sense. Too much troubling sense. He gave a forlorn look at the horizon, teeth chattering. The storm had left behind plenty of drinking water, but for how long…? Considering his limited resources, the island wouldn't sustain him long with material for a fire or shelter – these sea creatures were providing him with food, but his pants kept loosening. His lighter fluid wasn't going to last forever – he was down to his last three cigarettes. The thought of not having his nicotine fix caused him a severe chill.

He exhaled. "You ever had a pet before?"

Law frowned at him, not understanding the concept.

"Where you keep something – you feed it, shelter it, take it outside when it needs to shit, or cleans up the shit it leaves behind."

"Sounds like a mild form of slavery. There are those."

"This is what's happening, here," Sanji said, ignoring Law's comment.

"Which reminds me…when humans take a shit - ?"

"You hydrate yourself well, eat plenty of fiber, wipe twice, and you wipe deep. You then wash your shitty hands for twenty seconds with soap AND water, and _then_ you may enter the kitchen." Law stared at Sanji with utter confusion, so Sanji sighed impatiently, saying, "The point is, you've found something new and shiny, and you've no idea how much care goes into it."

Law frowned sullenly, Sanji irritably moving towards him to dunk him underwater so that he may take a breath. When Law re-emerged, he shook his head to remove hair from his face, skin glistening with drizzling water. He reached up to comb his fingers through his hair to see better, muscles flexing upon every single movement. Sanji was momentarily dumbfounded by the sight. He hastily slapped himself on the cheek to focus on the conversation, Law looking at him with immense confusion.

 _IDIOT! You're a_ man _, get it together_! Sanji told himself furiously. _Who cares about his perfectly stupid serratus anteriors_? _Or his stupidly thick man-tits_? _Or the way his stupid waist is so naturally small_ …? _Or the way his stupid biceps flex and tighten when he_ …!

"Are you…having some sort of moment?" Law asked him with mild concern as Sanji's veins bulged and pulsed, chewing at a finger with some sort of maniacal expression that Law could not identify. Sanji exhaled forcefully, somehow pulling himself together, composing himself with a light sweep of his bang to wipe sweat from his forehead.

 _This stupid creature can make a man sweat bullets, despite being drenched with the sea_ , he thought feverishly. He sneaked a look at the merman, whose amber eyes watched him with absolute concern. _Must be his mythical merman powers, damn him_ …!

"Humans," Sanji said carefully, cheek turning red where he'd slapped himself, "require more care than you think. This island won't hold me for long. Without fire to cook, without proper shelter from the elements – without an actual balanced diet, I will fall sick and die. I will freeze to death and die. I will shit endlessly without replacing nutrients and die."

"That's a lot of dying."

"I will do all three of them if I don't find the proper solutions very soon."

"' _tch_." Law glared off into the distance. Sanji watched him with amusement, hugging himself tight. "Well…perhaps _some_ assistance is needed…"

Finding a shallow enough spot to sit, Sanji scratched at his arms. His skin was so dry that it seemed to crawl at night, salt water irritating his skin after spending so much time swimming about in it. His hair felt like straw lately, and his thirst felt unforgiving. While this was a new and exciting event in his life, his human instinct to be rescued and returned to the world he was familiar with was a constant scratch at his thoughts. Law slithered up to him, Sanji allowing him room to come close by opening up his knees and watching him.

Once again, Law marveled at the concept of legs. Sanji's were muscled in bunches just above his thighs, clearly defined with his movements, and hairy. It scratched pleasantly at his own flesh, causing it to pimple with sensation. Distracted, Law touched one thigh, trying to imagine what it would feel like to have two of his own. Sanji slapped his webbed hand.

"Stop being so easily distracted, fish face," Sanji warned him, using a knee to jostle Law enough to catch himself by slinging his weight to one side and scowling at Sanji in response. "Now, I know you haven't been looking for Ivankov like you were doing – whatever happened with that?"

"I can't find her."

"So…this communication thing…what's the terms and conditions?"

"I'm not sure," Law murmured, drawing one leg around his shoulders and neck, Sanji freezing as his neck and face turned red. "Are legs always so bendy?"

Sanji unhooked his leg from around his shoulders and used his heel to push him back, closing his knees after. "It was allowed for a reason – is it as vindictive as you are?"

"I don't even know Ivankov to know these things."

"Then find out! What if you're supposed to complete something in order to gain a reward? Or, what if this is the reward, but you lose something in return?"

Law thought about Kidd's declaration: " _Making deals with sea witches just to talk to a human…you deserve what you get from it_."

He wondered what deal Kidd had made to have felt so repulsed by the creature after; dejected and forever vexed like he'd been burned. He pushed back into the water to take a breath as Sanji watched him. Ivankov wanted Law to do one thing – _impossible_ – but whatever she'd done to allow this communication between them –

Sanji yanked Law back by a gill, causing him to squeak in an undignified fashion. "Do _not_ swim off without informing me of what those facial expressions mean!"

"You are so damn grabby and annoying!" Law snapped back at him, slapping his hand away and rubbing at that gill. "My business with Ivankov is mine to know. If it involved you, I'd involve you with my thoughts!"

 _So, this is what married women complain of_ , Sanji thought with a furrow his brow, staring at Law with irritation. Then he quickly erased that expression from his head. "You're so damn thick headed. _Of course_ it involves me, why are we allowed to speak to each other? Think about it, moron. Being able to speak means _both_ of us were included in its evildoings. What if it affects me negatively as well? Can I expect to return to a normal life without consequence?"

" _YOU_ -!" Law snarled, gritting his teeth. "Probably not, your God hates you so much! Sit here and die for all I care, I'm leaving!"

Sanji scowled after him petulantly as he disappeared under the depths, causing him to rest his elbows atop of his knees. He then looked up at the sky, frowning at the moving cover of clouds. "Could I have done anything differently?"

: :

Law resumed his search for Ivankov, still stinging with anger over the encounter. Really, it was a combination of things that made him angry; on one hand, he still had so many unanswered questions, he'd just discovered the concept of physical expressions, and Sanji was right – without proper care, the human was going to die. Law was conflicted with that – he was supposed to kill humans before they could attempt to kill him, but he was conflicted with that concept. He was angry with his body because it seemed to have adapted to a new impression, and it was interfering with his logical reasoning. It was unreasonable how his head didn't seem to match with his lower body's impulses, and it caused turmoil inside of him. He didn't like not being in control of himself; he hated to regret his actions based on his current mood, but he felt so indecisive that no real decision made weight in his thoughts.

"What am I, a minnow?" he muttered bitterly, drifting to the sea floor, the light dimming the deeper he descended. Fish scattered at the sight of him, sharks turning sharply from his direction. He attuned his hearing to the noises around him – hearing the sound of moving waves, the shifting sands at the bottom, rock falls from cliff sides; animal conversations, the songs of whales. He could hear Shachi singing again, but it was so far off that Law couldn't distinguish the words.

With a foul expression, Law wandered the dark, deep floor, brushing aside wandering sea creatures that lived there. Common sense told him that Sanji was right – Ivankov allowed this for a reason, and didn't mention a consequence. A payment from a stranger meant nothing without terms and conditions; surely Ivankov had some. Her nonsense about knowing Corazon meant nothing to Law unless it absolutely involved him.

He paused at a cliff side, webbed hand gripping the rugged corner. Corazon had found Law – Law never gave much thought to the older merman's background, lost in his own traumas, and Law was regretting not sharing the same energy he had for his curiosity for humans to learning more of Corazon's past. Maybe it was important that Law knew why the merman had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to pick Law up from a colony that was slowly slaughtered by poisons.

How did Corazon know so much of the human world, being a merman that suffered underwater mishaps?

The earlier thought that Corazon was once a human coasted over Law's thoughts.

Did Ivankov know this? Was she a part of that situation as well?

Law coasted into the depths, feeling pressure start to build around his body. The light from the sun was missing, so the glow of animals that lived here popped on and off, depending on their distance. His vision adjusted, pupils enlarging and expanding so that he could see where he was going. Despite the depths, the water felt slightly warmer, here. He figured the underground heating source was volcanic activity, and veered away from that direction to avoid any harmful chemicals.

He figured he'd have a better chance of finding Ivankov where he'd first met her – despite his last attempts to look, this was the only sure one he had. He took a brief nap, snacked on passing eels that cursed him when he caught them, and hit that area the next morning. He was in luck because he spied Ivankov fixing her eyelashes with the use of a human made mirror, sitting against the cliff wall that led down to the deep crevice he'd yet to venture down.

"Ah, it's you!" she crowed, lowering her mirror as Law swept up to her. "Honey, we need to talk."

" _You_ did this!" he snarled at her furiously, fists at his sides. "What did you do without my permission?"

"I gave you the ability to _talk_ ," Ivankov stressed, taken back by his attitude. Her tentacles raised and lowered, as if she'd just crossed her legs primly at the knees. Her facial expression changed, purple lips jutting out as she gave him a once over. "I granted you the ability to speak with the human, Law. Not the dirty things you've been doing that's been all the gossip around here."

"Enough of your shit! I denied your offer, and yet you went ahead and made the decision on your own without telling me!"

"Didn't seem like you were complaining," she tutted, lifting the mirror to fix her left eyelashes. She used her talon to comb through them.

"But what is the consequence to this grant?"

"Oh? Did I offer one?"

" _YOU SAID_ -!"

"You're so angry at me!" she cried dramatically, arms suddenly flailing about. "Why are you so upset? You're able to speak to your human, aren't you? Isn't that what you wanted?"

"When you offered, I refused."

"You don't seem _that_ unhappy about it," she murmured to herself with that same, knowing expression to her face. "I heard some rather scandalous things about new purposes a human could give to you."

"Enough with your shit," Law snarled at her. " _Enough_."

"Don't hate the player, babe."

"Things aren't just gifted to strangers, no matter the situation! I want to know the drawbacks of this situation – the human deserves to know - !"

"Oh, the _human_ deserves to know!" she shrilled noisily, looking at him with an outraged expression, her voice drowning out his. "I didn't make a deal with the human – he was so stunned at the sight of my beauty that he fainted dead away, sweetie. I barely managed two words."

"Oh, so this is _my_ fault?"

"I was a friend of Corazon's, and I thought it would help granting the wish of my friend, who wished nothing but the best for the youngling he found on his travels," she said haughtily, tucking her mirror aside and batting her newly attached lashes. Now that Law knew of her shifting, he could see that her facial structure was too harsh – too strong to be that of a female's. Her chest was too broad, her shoulders too wide. But those globs of fat sacks on her chest was also too real. She slapped him for staring too hard in that area, causing him to whirl away with fury, hand to his cheek. " _Excuse_ you. I am a _lady_. And I don't accept foolish male company like yours. You're too young for me, honey."

" _YOU_ -!"

"So I gave you the best," Ivankov continued over his snarl, ignoring his bright red face as he bared his teeth, still clasping his cheek, "and here you are, hating me for it."

"I don't _hate_ – I want to know the outcome of this wish! I want to know the setbacks – what do _I_ give in return for something I didn't ask for?"

"Just enjoy yourself! Don't think too deeply of it, _but_ ," she added, lifting her heavily expressed eyebrows, "I do want to give you this…taking care of a human involves certain factors that you're probably not aware of. They're so high maintenance…they could die if they're not properly cared for."

Law rolled his eyes.

"I'm being serious!" she snapped at him, lavishing attention to her purple speckled arms. "They eat, sleep and poop differently from us."

"So I hear…"

"Oh? You've already been informed of this? My, isn't the human talkative with you…As such, keeping him as a pet on that small, tiny island probably isn't going to work out in the long run for you. You might end up either killing it on accident by denying its basic necessities, or, you can have a heart and return it to its proper living conditions by locating fellow humans."

Law frowned deeply at the thought, positive he was breaking certain rules for that aspect.

Ivanko narrowed her eyes. "Corazon was right. You _are_ an unreasonable brat."

"Stop calling me that! Stop using his name!"

"Or," she offered coyly, batting her absurdly long and thick eyelashes, "I can offer you something with a setback in return."

"What?"

" _So quick to respond_!"

"Just tell me what to do!"

"Oh? You aren't fish enough to figure it out on your own? You've always needed someone to tell you what to do?"

Law's veins seemed to pop and grow as his tendons strained against his skin and his muscles swelled. The vibrations he began to emit caused her to fan herself, chuckling. "I am growing tired of your - !"

"Mmhmm fu fu fu! So, you wanna be tough fish, now, huh?" she asked, suddenly starting to enlarge herself. Her tentacles began to lengthen, thickening to reveal massive sucker pads that seemed to grow teeth as her body began to reshape and reform in and around herself, shadowing Law like a minnow as he gaped up at her. Her hair began to turn into tentacles themselves, forehead growing and reshaping into a pointed formation with fluttering fins bending and waving against the current. Soon, Law realized he was looking at a creature from the deep – a _kraken_ – billowing out in front of him.

Chided, Law turned away from the mythical creature with a stubborn expression to his face, folding his arms over his chest.

Ivanko's voice, altered with her new size and shape, boomed out over the water like a cannon, vibrating in such a way that Law winced, cringing. All her newly formed tentacles bloomed, flurried and caressed around her like separate creatures as her overlarge eyes blinked from the sides of her head.

"Let's continue our conversation," she said, "now that I am more comfortable."

"…' _tch_."

"Don't click your tongue with me! It's _outrageous_ how disrespectful you are to your elders, kiddo!" Huffing, Ivankov's separate arms fluttered over her tentacles, played with her newly grown "hair". "Bless his heart, Corazon had his hands and mind full taking you in…now, what were we discussing…? Oh, yes…your conditions…"

"I don't want to be human," Law felt he had to say, craning his neck to look up at her. "That wasn't my wish. I am only….curious about humans in general. Never did I ever think I'd want to be one."

"I – "

"And the human is too attached to his world to consider being one of us."

Ivankov gave him a stumped look. From out of the depths, one of her tentacles reached out and recoiled, drawing in a mid-sized grey whale. Considering her new size and the strength of that single tentacle, the whale looked like something of a helpless toy caught in her sucker pads. Law looked away at the resounding crunch of massive teeth through flesh, blood and organs coloring the water. The smell was so strong that he covered his nose with one arm, feeling the warmth of the whale's remains hit his skin.

"So, what do you want?" Ivankov asked impatiently, gesturing with half a corpse, coloring the water with more debris.

After several moments of consideration, Law realized all he could offer was a shrug. Ivankov sighed impatiently, taking another bite until she could examine the remains of the whale's tail with a foul frown.

"Impulsive, aren't we? Barging in without a thought to a demand you don't even know you want," she murmured. "That's quite odd of you."

Law hated to think it was because Sanji drove him off, his demands tempering Law's own thoughts. His expression reflected this, but Ivankov read it before he could hide it with a turn of his body.

"What deal did you make with Kidd?" he then asked curiously.

"Oh, _Eustass_ …well, that's between him and I. The point is, it was his decision to make. His own responsibility to bear."

Frustrated that he couldn't get a grasp of an answer from either, Law weighed his options.

"You don't need to request anything," Ivankov pointed out. "Wasn't this opportunity enough? You can speak with a human – limited, but…all good things must come to an end eventually. And since you don't want to take my previous offer…"

"Because that's stupid."

"And you thought affection was stupid! Wasn't your mind changed very recently? You shameless, naughty thing, you, mmm fufuufufu!"

"I'm not ashamed of something that everyone else is doing. The shame I feel is listening to this crap and thinking you're someone important!"

Ivanko gave him a wounded look, hand to her chest. "Oh, Law…baby, _honey_ …let's act your age, not your dick size."

Shaking with building anger and impatience once more, Law sought to compose himself. Ivankov laughed again, tossing the remains of the tail up and away from her, the mass shooting through the water without much resistance to it. Sharks immediately veered into that area, some drifting closer to pick at the fallen remains around the massive creature's mass. Ivankov preened and maneuvered to allow the cleaning, the kraken taking up impossible space.

"Well, you came down here for something!" She boomed, water vibrating with enough force to have most sea creatures dizzy, Law clamping his hands over his sensitive ears. "What was it?"

"I believe you answered my question," Law muttered bitterly. "If there are no strings attached to the this unusual situation, then perhaps I have nothing more to speak to you with. As unlimited as my curiosity extends, the human's life is limited in itself. That's the end of it. In order to save him, I must give him up. If I feel cruel enough, I can prevent him from leaving, allowing him to die."

"So, which is it? I'm curious."

Law didn't answer her, batting at a hammerhead shark that ventured too close to him. He gave Ivankov a dirty look, pushing up and away from the cliff side.

"Where are you going?" Ivankov asked impatiently. Her size made it difficult for Law to escape her quickly – as it was, he was still negotiating the space through her fluttering tentacles, which were bigger than the width of a grey whale. "Are we done talking?"

He didn't answer her. She reached out and pinched his tail fluke delicately with two menacing talons, causing him a frustrated growl. Shocking her with reflexive action did nothing but cause her a chuckle of amusement.

"You went back to the shipwreck, I heard," she said, holding tight as he struggled to loosen himself from her grip. "Instead of seeking human treasure, indulging in a forbidden snack or two…you purposely searched out areas of interest. I'm curious, Law – did you ever listen to the things Corazon revealed to you about humans and their deep, evil secrets?"

Because he couldn't escape, Law turned his back to her, crossing his arms once more and glaring off into the distance. "Yeah. Why?"

"What happened to the ship, Law? Quite particular how the fire ate so quickly through a ship that wore modernized skin. What was that term again? Fronds? Frond? Installation frond…?"

"…Insurance Fraud."

"What a nasty set of words," Ivankov commented. She drew him up towards her face, a movement that forced Law to follow, pulled unexpectedly hard so that one eye could focus upon him. "But you've got a good, clear mind about you, don't you? He taught you that ships bear the seal or name of ownership, so what did the human call his ship?"

"He didn't."

"But repetitive seals must have been obvious throughout the vessel…what do you remember seeing?"

Law's memory conjured human paintings, room and corridor designs, colors that he'd never seen before. Materials that felt alien under his palm. But he did recall a repetitive picture on marble floors, on linoleum throughout the corridors, on stair banisters. "It was…a…weird symbol. A half circle – two half circles, with sharp lines pulled against their backs."

"Letters."

"Yes, but human languages are things I don't know."

"Ask the human, Law, to explain to you those symbols. _Then_ ask him who the ship belonged to. Can you do that for lil ole me, hmm?"

Law turned to look at her with confusion, tilting his head as Ivankov released him. He turned to face her, a thought occurring at that moment. "You allowed me to speak to the human for a reason," he stated. His eyebrows lifted. "…That's related to Cora… _that's_ why you allowed us to speak."

Ivankov didn't answer, but she gave a solemn nod. "He was a good friend," she murmured, pushing backward – sharks found themselves pulled in her individual current, water swirling around and through her tentacles that she curled back towards her, sinking towards the crevice. Law watched her with rising bewilderment, pushing away from the sinking movement.

As confused as he was, Law turned and headed back towards the island – to Sanji.

: :

Sanji watched as Law drew the symbols he remembered seeing into the sand. Out of water, Law was some awkwardly beached creature that was half monster, half man. He lacked grace or strength, straining to hold his breath with effort – but dazzling with a strange determination that Sanji didn't understand. He looked from the merman to the symbols in the sand, nodding.

"Yes, the ship was called 'Orbit'," he said, pointing at each letter in turn with a stick, "and these are the initials for the owner. Gaudy, really. Like anyone would forget that he owned it. D, Q, for Donquixote. Flashy man, very…charismatic, I suppose."

Law looked up at Sanji with confusion. "I won't even attempt saying that word."

"Ah, he is some rich asshole from the north. His accent – he complains about mine, but his own…" Sanji shrugged, crouching next to him. "I never paid much attention to him. I only cared about the crew I worked with, and if I were paid on time. What's this about?"

Law didn't say anything, furrowing his brow. "You mentioned he was from the north?"

"Mm hmm. But don't ask me anymore details than that, because I was never one to listen for very long. What mattered was the duties assigned to me on that stretch of pond while I avoided going back…" Sanji trailed off, then shook his head, Law glancing at him. "That's not important. Why does this suddenly matter, Law?"

"It's Ivankov's reason for allowing us to speak," Law said slowly, turning to make his way back to the water. Sanji dropped the stick he was using and grabbed his arm. "I CAN DO IT MYSELF!"

"Stop being a shitty, prideful beast, and let me help you!" Sanji snarled back, dragging him with a struggle back into the water. Once there, he rested his palms against his knees, wheezing for breath once Law was able to claw his way back through the shallows, where he could dunk his upper body and drench his skin with welcome moisture. "Whew…you weigh as much as a small, full boat, loaded with at least three cows…"

"I didn't ask you to help me," Law muttered, returning close to him.

"Why would Ivankov give us the ability to speak for that reason?" Sanji asked him with curiosity.

Law blew bubbles absently against the surface of the water, narrowing his eyes with concentration. _Does he want me to do something for him_? He wondered crossly. _Does he want me to turn human for some sort of revenge_?

The image of Corazon floating in the water, missing limbs and tail, came back to him with sudden clarity. He choked on a breath that wasn't there, ducking awkwardly under the water to cough and choke. Sanji watched him with a bewildered expression, hands on his hips, and shirt rolled at the sleeves, buttoned to his collarbone. His suspenders were tightened with knots, his pants loosely flapping at his waist. When Law lifted his head, Sanji shook a finger at him.

"You've got business with the owner, or someone associated with the ship, don't you? Because why would a sea witch give you something for free if it doesn't benefit it? Something fishy about the entire thing, and I cannot understand why you aren't suspicious enough!"

Law tilted his head, squinting up at him as the sun made brief glances down at them through passing clouds. The sky, blue this morning, was covered with a light blanketing that made the air feel humid and unsettled. Another storm was approaching, causing the waves to slap with force upon the small island that seemed to rattle soundly against the pushing wind.

"Do humans have brains rivaling the size of ours?"

"Sometimes…you are so sweet. All the other times, I just want to kick your shitty tail across the water for speaking down to me from where you are. But I forgive you because you saved my life. Be grateful I'm a forgiving man…"

" _Bah_ …"

"And she chose you because every time you bring up the subject of this friend that taught you about humans, your face gets all…" Sanji demonstrated for Law the expression Law could feel on his own face, and he gave the human an insulted look. "So this shit is personal. It wasn't about granting you your wish to ask a human a few questions, it was to get personal towards someone else associated with the ship. So, tell me about your friend…maybe I have useful information!"

Law regarded him with suspicion, pushing himself to sit up awkwardly, tail captured by the rather forceful waves stretching past them. He braced his hands against the sand that curled up around him, uncomfortably rubbing against his fins and rump.

"It would be an immense coincidence if you had any information," he muttered. "This world is a massive one. Both land and sea. The odds that I would meet someone associated with my trauma is…impossible."

"We call this a higher power," Sanji told him, standing next to him. He craved a cigarette, crossing his arms over his chest and drumming his fingers against his biceps with jittery impatience. His mouth felt so dry, his tongue so heavy – every blink he made felt like he had sand rubbing against the globe. But he squinted into the distance, watching storm clouds build and billow around each other.

Law considered Sanji's words, tail slapping against the water with absent gesture. Sanji began to push him into deeper depths, causing him to react with irritation, waving an arm at him. But once his weight caused him to sink, his skin gratefully absorbing the moisture, he dunked his head and combed his water from his face, Sanji following him under the water.

"His name was Corazon," Law said reluctantly, reaching out to grasp Sanji's arms to hold him in place while the human held his breath. "He was the one to find me. He brought me out here. One thing that I came to realize as an adult was that both of our coloring, while in the same color scheme, revealed our origins from similar cold places."

"He was the same color as you?" Sanji asked, stroking up one strong forearm, carefully avoiding the gossamer fin that danced within the shimmering water.

"No. He was…perhaps your coloring." Law touched his hair, strands flickering through his speckled fingers. "He never spoke of his past – just lectured me about the importance of avoiding humans. But…he knew most about them in ways that I should've paid more attention to back then."

"And humans killed him?"

"That was the story. But the knowledge he possessed…it was he that knew about insurance fraud. How to reach certain depths of a ship's layers. Which each caste meant within those layers…"

Sanji gave him a puzzled look. "How would a _merman_ know all that?"

"That's…what I don't understand. I was too young to pay attention, and now…now I regret my behavior. I should've paid more attention…"

"And Ivankov knew him personally…"

Law frowned with thought, Sanji watching the nuances of his facial expressions stiffen to reveal nothing to him.

"It appears so," Law murmured, tail curling forward to allow Sanji to rest atop of it. But the human slithered away from that option, giving him a dirty look in response. He set to the surface, taking a deep breath the moment he could. Staring up at the moving clouds over the deep blue of the sky, Sanji furrowed his brow. If only he could talk to Ivankov himself to demand some answers, but at the same time…it bewildered him that they were allowed to meet like this.

 _It's not a joke anymore_ , he thought, frowning at the sky _. And I can no longer accept that my life follows rules I didn't put my own weight in. But this…it has nothing to do with me, but what I might know. I'll live, but only if I continue breaking those rules_.

Law appeared next to him, wearing a puzzled frown. Treading the water, Sanji said, "Go back to that thing. Allow him to grant you a wish. Then, next plan of action is finding our way out of the water so you can settle this."

" _Why_ would I want to do that?" Law asked snappishly. "I've never desired to be human, or draw myself into - !"

" _Because_ , stupid – you were given a chance to settle some affairs. Take advantage of it. You don't know when you'll get it again. When you look back at this moment," Sanji continued when Law made to speak, "are you going to find yourself regretting your actions presently, or be grateful that you took the chance when it mattered?"

Law once again frowned at him, water dripping from his hair to rain down around him. But he considered how much he regretted his youthful, impulsive actions while he was with Corazon – as an adult, he cringed and regretted and now…maybe he was given an opportunity to do something different. But the concept of turning into a clumsy, weak human being – of having legs – breathing air – seeing their world – was that something he could actually do?

Without saying anything, Law returned to the water. Sanji watched him swim away, masked by the swirling colors that swallowed him up. He supposed he didn't need a verbal answer or direction to understand that the merman was considering the opportunity, and the thought made him nervous. He chewed at his salty fingernails, kicking lightly at the water – his heart raced with rising anxiety at the thought of human Law walking the earth with him.

O _h, I'd just die_ …! He thought, certain the vapors were touching him as he fanned his face, his cheeks reddening. _As a merman, I'm near breaking point, so if he were a man like me_ …

"Oh, I'd just _die_ ," he repeated sluggishly to himself, hands clapped to his mouth with horror. He began swimming back to shore, shaking his head at himself. Once there, he pulled himself to shore, feeling weak throughout the rest of his body. He needed proper food, proper water sources – and soon, otherwise they weren't getting anywhere. He paused to look back at the water, hints of the sun peeking through the cloud cover. Furrowing his brow, Sanji wondered what Doflamingo Donquixote meant to mythical sea creatures.

: :

Law thought about being human. The thought was terrifying, rattling him throughout his flesh, bones and scales. It was terrifying to think about having legs, terrifying to lose abilities he'd dismissed but always used – terrified of being found out. What to eat, how to breathe, what to think in his own head as he lived and breathed as a human being. Seeing Sanji move about on land – handling fire, pulling together a fire pit, using what was left of his clothes to shield himself from the elements – all of these things were so foreign.

On the other hand, he could be mistaking the intentions Ivankov had for him completely.

Kidd had mentioned he'd been human – Law wondered if the sharkman would share his experience with him, but he doubted Kidd would give him anything. Look at him now – angry and sullen, keeping to himself deep under the water…what had he done to turn out that way?

Law examined his fingers, the webbing in between firm and still with the movement. He tried to imagine individual fingers – like Sanji's – and felt a shiver run through him. He curled his arms around his middle, fluttering up against the low ceiling of the cave he'd taken shelter in. The fish that had made it their home grumbled and shifted about to give him space, keeping careful watch on their eggs that glittered from time to time when the light was just right.

He never dreamed to be human – he was only curious about them as separate lifeforms. An unhealthy curiosity – something that occupied his minds on long days and longer nights. An interest that really would take him no where – he didn't desire to kill one, but he wouldn't be afraid to do so (he wasn't sure what happened with Sanji); he had kept his distance while observing them from afar. He relied on the information from his friends, and he'd rummaged through shipwrecks with interest.

But never in all his years of life did he want to _be_ one.

Was this something Ivankov was allowing him a taste of? And whose revenge was it, really? Corazon was a dear person, someone who had come along at the right time for a lost, angry merchild as Law was…and while Law lost sleep wondering about Corazon's death, because it may have been caused by humans, Law wasn't interested in pursuing it.

 _Was he really truly living_?

Law closed his eyes, arms tightening around his midsection.

 _Was he truly alive? What the hell was he_ doing _all these years_?

He opened his eyes as another thought occurred to him; what was Ivankov going to say when she mentioned, ' _Your ability, which Corazon had mentioned one time…you can kill your food, you can hurt other merfolk, but on humans_ …humans…!'

What had Cora been saying when he spoke to others about Law? Law closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling evenly.

Penguin poked his head in, breathing heavily. "Hey. You having one of your breakdowns, again?"

"I'm sleeping," Law murmured pointedly, eyes still closed.

"You're not tired. It's still _day_ up there! Anyway, we've been hearing weird noises coming from the direction of the ship – BIG noises! Might be another one of those megalodons, so Shachi and I were going to head a little more south of here."

"It's more than likely Ivankov," Law said with disinterest. "She's actually a kraken…"

"Those humongous things that eat whales like snacks? Uh, _still_ moving south. Shachi might fill her up for winter."

" _HEY_!" Shachi complained a short distance away.

"That's my buddy over there, Law," Penguin said pensively. "That's one of my _best_ friends. _You're_ one of my best friends. I don't want to see anyone eaten by a kraken."

"Ivankov won't eat you," Law said, opening his eyes to frown at him. "I uh…was given an option, I think, to become human."

Penguin gasped noisily, flippers to his beak. " _Law_ …!"

"I haven't accepted it, because…why should I?" Law frowned at the penguin. "I've learned more about the situation that may provide me with the chance to become one, but why should I…?"

Penguin shrugged. "I don't know. For a laugh? Some adventure?"

"What if I don't return?"

"I mean, you're making a deal with a sea witch. You'll return. Probably not as you are now…you'll probably wind up as her _slave_ ," Penguin then said with unnecessarily slow gestures. "If you know what I mean…"

Law scowled at him.

"Hey, you could find a family up there!"

"I do NOT want a family…!"

"Hey, Shachi! Come talk to this guy!" Penguin then called, the killer whale nosing him over so that he could peer into the cave.

"Hey, Law," Shachi greeted. "What's going on?"

"I might turn human?"

" _Ew,_ did you want to?"

"I'm considering all aspects of it."

Penguin pushed Shachi aside with a grunt. "Is this what Ivankov really said? Like, was it absolutely serious?"

"All I can say is…I was allowed the chance to talk to the human on the basis of certain conditions that may or may not relate to Corazon."

 _Rocinante_ , Ivankov had mentioned. Corazon had never referred to himself as that, but something in Law's own memory niggled with the familiarity of it, so perhaps Corazon had used it before. Both animals stared at Law in silence, pausing their battle to be the only one visible within the cave's mouth.

"The human himself," Law stressed, "is a key factor in it. Somehow, Ivankov knew this. Which…I'm…the whole thing makes me feel suspicious and confused at the same time. Sanji's role is unintentional, yet fitting because he..."

Penguin shoved Shachi aside. "The bastard was in on it!"

"I'm pretty sure that he wasn't," Law said with much doubt.

Shachi shoved Penguin aside. "Why even hesitate? Just go for it! Make some memories!"

"Oh, that's your plan? Make him human for a laugh?" Penguin snapped at him.

"I mean, can you imagine Law walking about on two legs? Wearing clothes? He'd look like a freak!"

Law rolled his eyes.

"Well, on a serious note," Penguin said with a sigh, "what's the worst that can happen?"

"I've never wanted to be human," Law said carefully. "While I realize now that I have been living an unfulfilling life here, I…never thought much of being a human to walk around up there. Become one of them. On that basis, how do I even know Cora was killed by a human? From what I saw, it could have been an animal like the kraken, or a big shark…"

"Merfolk claim that it was humans, Law."

"I understand that, but…no one was an actual witness. I could be sent up there and…" Law trailed off, frowning tightly. "Ivankov alluded to many things regarding our situation, but has never been clear about it. Why am I just running off her assumptions? As a kraken, maybe she's just causing trouble…"

"Then why even allow you to talk to the human in the first place?"

"That's the thing," Law said with a frustrated sigh. He crossed his arms at his chest, jaw set. He ran his thoughts through his mind, considering all options. "If I allow her a wish that granted me the freedom to cross worlds as a human, what's in it for me? Humans were just a curiosity to me, not anything more than that."

"You can spend more time with Sanji."

"Sanji prefers other humans," Law stressed. "And that part is…understandable, should I allow him to live. But if I shouldn't…if I just let him waste away after giving me what I need to know…then this whole situation could be laid to rest. Humans don't know what is an enemy or a friend, to them. They stab each other in the backs, why should they be trusted?"

Both animals shrugged.

"I don't know, do you want him dead?" Shachi asked curiously. "Seems like you're getting along fine."

"Yeah, I mean, didn't spending time with him warm you up to the possibility of getting a lifelong companion of your own?" Penguin asked.

Law thought about. He liked the human for all his nuances and his foreign, alien aspects; there was so much to learn from him. The dazzling color of his eyes, the expressions of his face, the gestures he made that were similar to Corazon's…part of it left an uneasy ache in his chest, the other…

He exhaled stiffly. "But if I should pass this opportunity up, I will regret it later in the future."

"At least find out the terms and conditions!" Penguin insisted. "Hey, if you want, we can follow you!"

"We've hung out close to humans plenty of times," Shachi assured Law. "If you need an out, we'll give you one. We're your friends!"

Law thanked them with a nod in their direction, warming up to the idea. "It feels personal for Ivankov as well. To even extend the effort to someone like me, who could have just swam away from her offer…"

Penguin and Shachi exchanged a look, Law noticing right away.

" _What_."

"It's because it's someone like you that Ivankov approached you, Law," Penguin said tentatively. "That's all."

Law wasn't sure what the penguin meant, looking at him with a frown. But he nodded grimly. "I'm going to consider the offer. Please excuse me."

Penguin and Shachi drifted away from the cave, looking at each other with doubt.

: :

The fire crackled noisily at Sanji's feet. The wind whipped the island's trees with force, showering him with pieces of bark and feathers, sand whipping over the surface. The fire was built into a pit of his own making, and he sat close to it, shivering. With so much sound whirling around him, Sanji couldn't hear anything coming or going from the water unless they were right next to him. He had some plant fronds piled up around his back, which was crammed against an outcropping of rock. The storm passed over with electric tension and the threat of rain, and Sanji worried about both. But he thought about home, he thought about home cooked food and his friends. A heavy weight in his stomach built as he wondered what was going through Law's mind, but the merman had his own thoughts to sort out.

 _Destiny_ , Sanji thought idly, watching the flames whip about in the pit. _Is that what it is_?

The next morning, he shakily made his way to the beach. He was covered in sand and light debris, and the yearning for a hot bath and pampering to his weary skin caused every part of him aching effort. He felt years older than he was, hand worrying at his back. He looked up because the sound of bird conversation was very different.

Sure enough, in the distance, a lone fishing boat danced atop of tumultuous waves. It looked badly damaged, mast ripped in half, sails torn, but Sanji sucked in a breath and gave a loud shout, racing to the frothy water to gain the user's attention. The water zinged up against his skin, bitingly cold, but his heart jumped for joy and his breath was hard to catch. Relief and absolute happiness warmed him from the inside out, and he hesitated for a moment before leaping out into the water. Shouting with curses as the temperature rocked his body, Sanji began swimming towards the craft.

It was over twenty feet long, had seen better days, but it held promise in a single, narrow cabin and it was clearly floating without trouble. He could fix the sails if he had to – employ the orca to tug him if he ultimately needed to. Sanji was nearly out of breath as he reached its backside, noticing that the deck was littered with trash, some dead fish that had been tossed into during the storm, and what looked like empty drink canisters. He managed to struggle on top, kicking and cursing as he did so, his hands struggling to hold tight onto the ladder rungs. Just as he crawled to rest on his knees, panting tightly to rest against the yoke, the cabin door opened with a noisy protest. Sanji's mouth dropped in shock as the kid's face shifted from a wide yawn to similar shock.

"LUFFY!"

" _SANJI?_ OH MY GOODNESS!"

Luffy was a sight to see. Despite his obvious lack of hygiene, sea weary sunburn and wild black hair that were clumped in tufts around the crown, the kid was in brilliant shape. His bright red collar shirt was rumpled underneath his sweater vest, his fraying trouser shorts whipping against skinny legs that disappeared into too large rain boots that clumped noisily against the deck as he ran in for a flying hug. Sanji managed to catch him, but both of them tumbled off the boat with loud splashes.

Breaking the surface, laughing and crying aloud at the temperature of the unsettled water, both of them slapped each other with greetings.

"How did you find me?"

"We were so _lost_! Oh, _wow_ , _so lost_! Stupid Zoro lost the compass the first day!"

"You guys are idiots!"

"I'm so glad you're alive! The whole town was talking about the Orbit sinking, and - ! The people they found weren't much, but we both had hope you were still alive! You're so stubborn!"

"So you came out to find me in that? _How are you still alive_?"

"I don't know! It's great, isn't it? HA HA! ZORO!"

Both of them climbed back onto the boat, teeth chattering noisily. The man in question stumbled out from the cabin, tucking in his linen shirt into rugged trousers held up with suspenders; he wore a puzzled but sleepy look. He yanked on his sweat stained black fisherman's hat with eyes that widened to the size of dinner plates upon seeing Sanji. To Luffy, he asked incredulously, "Did you fish him out with my fishing rod, or yours?"

Luffy laughed noisily while Sanji shook his head with amazement, Zoro disappearing momentarily to retrieve a couple of blankets to toss at them.

"We both knew you were still alive out there, because Hell hadn't yet exploded," Zoro said with confidence, looking at Sanji with absolute amazement, hands on his hips. "Are you still in work uniform? What's left – _how the hell_ did you wind up all the way out here?"

"Don't even give me that, you guys blew in by accident, I hear," Sanji said with a chuckle, grateful for the warmth of the blanket that he tightly wrapped around himself. He gave a groan. "Oh, lord, that feels so good…I'd forgotten what warmth felt like!"

"Luffy dropped our compass into the water while he was taking a leak," Zoro said with a shake of his head, observing the storm's damage to their boat. He gave another shake. "How are we even going to know how to get back?"

"We blew in here by destiny," Luffy scoffed, leaning back against one of the wooden benches along the rails. "Destiny will blow us right back. I don't know why you worry so hard about these things, Zoro…"

"These are our _lives_ you're gambling with!" Zoro snarled at him, outraged by his blithe attitude. "We can't just drift in one direction and expect to survive - !"

"We just did!" Luffy insisted.

"I can't believe you guys showed up here," Sanji exclaimed, still shocked. "I was just starting to lose all hope!"

"In that outfit?" Zoro asked skeptically. He then tilted his head, his expression turning serious. He then looked towards the island with his eyes narrowed before looking back at Sanji. "You've been here all this time?"

"Pretty much."

"I mean, other than the obvious…you're not weather damaged."

Sanji shrugged. He touched his own face, knowing that it lacked sunburn. The other day, Law had given him the materials needed to shave his stubble away. He still had the cuts on his skin. Every contact he had with the merman had been that weird, healing electricity that had made Sanji feel like he'd live forever. Nothing had been said about that thing; nor did Sanji even ask, fearing some sort of negative reaction. There were other factors about their contact that made Sanji uncomfortable to think about.

Even as happy as he was finding help, the fact that he'd leave the merman behind caused a hot ache in his gut. Something he didn't want to think about.

Squinting up at Zoro, Sanji said, "I did good. Plenty of fish to eat, my lighter still had some fluid…I have one more cigarette left."

"Ugh," Luffy commented with a face.

Zoro then shrugged, bending to throw the anchor over the boat's side, rope sliding over his rough hands. "Well, we're not in any hurry just yet. Luffy, go get him some water. We at least got that. Let's catch some breakfast, then figure out a way back."

Sanji apprehensively bit his lower lip, looking back over his shoulder at the unsettled waters. White caps were starting to curl over the once calm sea to shore, causing the boat to rock dangerously. The sea was dark with the overhang of the lingering storm clouds, preventing him from seeing anything underwater. He wouldn't be able to see that familiar long shadow. He didn't want to make it any obvious that he was looking down there, and struggled to avert his eyes. Luffy easily made it to his feet and hurried into the cabin to find their water barrel, clutching his blanket closed around him. His boots clomped noisily against the wet deck.

"Well, probably helped that God was watching over you, eh?" Zoro asked Sanji with light sarcasm. Sanji snorted, scratching at his nose while he resettled against the bench Luffy had abandoned.

"I don't think it was God that helped," Sanji said. "It was the ocean and all its creatures that provided the assistance I needed to get this far. Otherwise, I should've been dead, or rescued with the others. I thought there were no survivors…?"

"Why wouldn't there be? Of course there were. Some froze, some were eaten – but those saved were crediting debris that kept them afloat. Another passenger ship happened upon them just hours after. Strange, though. How bad that situation was."

"This other ship heard the distress call?"

"There weren't any made, is what I heard. You know what happened?"

"One of the new guys started a fire in the kitchen. Accident."

"Didn't seem like an accident," Zoro said skeptically, looking at him. "Not with the descriptions made. Most of the survivors described a fire that couldn't be quelled. That ate up room after room. Sounds suspicious. Especially when some of them 'succumbed' to grievous injuries that some swear they didn't have when they were picked up."

Sanji nodded with vague discomfort, furrowing his brow. Luffy returned with a tin-cup of water, which sloshed sloppily around the sides as he made his way over. Sanji drank it gratefully, aware of how parched he was. The water tasted so clean and fresh compared to what he had been drinking.

"No more bird poop," he said with relief, wiping his mouth as the others gave him disgusted looks.

"Better watch out," Zoro then commented lightly. "Or you'll wind up like those other guys once they hear you're alive and well."

"Don't threaten me with a good time. I, uh…" Sanji swallowed tightly, scanning the water for any signs of Law or his friends. But the birds on the island were lively, chattering shrilly about the humans and their shitty boat. Most happy that he was gone. There was no way he could tell his friends about Law – the tinges of shame that he'd buried because he thought he was going to die were starting to return now that rescue felt inevitable.

Zoro caught the look while Luffy whistled down at the churning waters. "You looking to tell some fishy friends goodbye?"

"Stop watching me so closely!"

"You eat those birds, too, Sanji?" Luffy asked him curiously. "That place doesn't look all that huge. But that's where you stayed? There's a bigger place than this one, huh? Because they come from somewhere…maybe we can go there!"

"As you can see, I didn't have many options," Sanji said, looking back. "I've already tried escaping by craft but went no where."

Zoro looked at him skeptically while Luffy shielded his eyes with one hand, looking into various directions. Zoro noticed the way Sanji kept scanning the waters; he wondered what Sanji expected to find, with a worried furrow to his brow. Something didn't seem right to Zoro, but he wasn't sure what it was. He cast a look at the island where Sanji had found shelter, and while the trees covered most of the ground, old rock formations surely promising water ponds that could provide sustainable liquid, the trees were mostly thin and young. They didn't seem to provide any sturdy shelter or shade, and yet…Sanji's fair skin gave no hint of a sunburn that he would normally bring back to them after a day spent out on the water. His face was also shaved – stubble barely glittering at his jaw. While his skin looked dry, while it looked as if he'd lost considerable weight, there was a glow to his skin that suggested fair health. For someone that survived a ship wreck and spent days out here without any human company, the man should've been on a the brink of death. Or at least healthily tanned. But there wasn't a freckle to be found.

Somewhere in the distance, what looked like a killer whale breached the surface, exhaling noisily. Zoro shielded his eyes to look in that direction, Luffy immediately crowing over the sight. After a few moments, the whale retreated underneath the water.

"That's unusual," Zoro commented lightly. "An orca without a pod."

"Bean pod?" Luffy asked, wrinkling his nose as he scanned the horizon for more sprouts of water. "Maybe we can hunt and eat them! I'm starving!"

"No, killer whales are usually traveling this route with others of its kind. Rarely are they without some company. They're family animals. Like dolphins."

"Eh, why are they called 'killer'? Do they kill humans?"

"Not that I know of." Zoro glanced at Sanji, who was sitting quietly, clutching his blanket. "That guy keeping you company?"

"Luckily it wasn't interested in eating me," Sanji murmured, feeling the furrow in his brow deepen, eyes moving back to the water with worry once more.

: :

Law watched as the three men went to work repairing the sail. Penguin swam around him, wearing an expression of chagrin, but the mood was grim. Their voices, though muffled, were blatantly cheerful and upbeat despite certain perils, and Law was only catching their tones. He could still hear Sanji clear as day, but the others' chattered with a language that didn't unfurl for him. He lingered against the boat's belly, the vibrations of the boat's materials rapping noisily against the rather violent waves. The wind was still causing them trouble, delaying their sail's repairs, but the anchor dragged against the sea floor and produced a misty cover for animals taking advantage.

Vague anxiety raced through Law. His opportunity was going to leave him, and he had yet to speak with Ivankov. But Sanji sounded happy – the familiarity he exuded with the other two told Law that these were the friends he'd been speaking of, missing. They were accustomed to the sea's nuances, but still sounded like idiots that caused Sanji to snap and snarl at them. Occasionally, the bigger one of the three would snap right back, the youngest one laughing merrily – a cozy situation.

"I can wreck their shit," Penguin said, making the motion of cracking his flippers. " _Easily_. Puncture the wood like I was made of stone. Or just have Shachi's fat ass lay on it."

"I can," Shachi offered, nosing along the bottom for fish that screamed in alarm, escaping his sharp teeth. "All it'll take is a bump with my massive muscles to overturn it and send them all flying."

"Why would I want that?" Law questioned them both. He turned to look at them, seeing their puzzled expressions. " _What_?"

"Didn't you come up with a plan?" Penguin asked impatiently. "Isn't that something you want to do?"

"Not so fast," Law said. He placed a hand over his heart, which started a quick, rattled beat. "Honestly, I don't want to be rushed."

"I heard them talking, y'know. The green guy said that survivors from the ship were being purposely dead, and Sanji should be careful when he comes back. So…you might wanna consider that this might be your last chance to, like, do stuff."

Law frowned apprehensively. "It takes almost a day to reach Ivankov's lair. In the meantime, I will lose them. If I am turned human, I…frankly, I would have no chance of survival if there weren't any other humans around. I don't expect to know right away how to use a human body to swim. So – "

"So if I wreck this shit now, you will," Penguin assured him.

"If you wreck this shit now, we'll never have another way back," Law told him firmly. "I doubt Shachi would want to carry four humans in his mouth to safety."

"Man, I have a really sensitive gag reflex," Shachi said with a cough.

" _So_ \- !"

"So, right now, I will have to let this opportunity pass," Law said reluctantly over Penguin's impatience. "If one comes to me again, that should allow a sufficient amount of time for me to be ready."

Penguin and Shachi frowned at him, but each gave moving shrugs as Law pushed away from the boat with heavy reluctance. He glanced up through the surface, catching flashes of movement. The sail was being hoisted, flapping noisily on a mast that was given some attention, much to the cheer of the trio. In moments, the anchor began to rise. With the chain clinking noisily through the water near his tail, Law watched the heavy metal cut through the sandy mist it had caused while dragging.

"Should it take a few more years, or even weeks, I should have the nerve to make a decision," he said heavily.

Penguin zipped through the sandy mist, looking at him. "Then let go of the chain."

Law looked at the chain he'd unconsciously grasped within one hand, metal bending ever so slightly. The chain jerked a few times, added force causing the metal to jingle and straighten. More force was applied, and the sound of straining men catching his ears. He loosened his fingers for a moment, then caught it again.

Penguin gave him an exasperated look. "Better make up your mind, quick," Penguin said, jerking away.

A few moments later, Sanji dove over the side of the boat, following the chain down to where Law held it. He looked at the merman with surprise, clearly startled at seeing him. Law frowned at him in response.

"I was wondering when you were gonna show up," Sanji admitted, holding onto the chain. "So? What of it?"

Law couldn't bring himself to say anything lengthy, his expression heavy. But as Sanji pried his webbed fingers from the chain, he gave a low exhale. Sanji faced him with a pensive frown, using the anchor's weight to keep him steady. He jerked on it a few times, as if giving signal to the others that he was loosening it from whatever they assumed was caught on.

"Maybe I could find my way back," Sanji offered. "Give you a chance to think about it."

"They said that the survivors were being killed…?"

"Yes, well, gives weight to your earlier suspicion, doesn't it?"

"So…" Law glanced everywhere before finally looking to Sanji's face, "what if you don't come back?"

"Then I leave without any regrets," Sanji said firmly, smiling at him. He reached out to touch Law's shoulder, fingers warm against Law's skin. "And say nothing about you."

The chain jerked suddenly, and Sanji released it hastily as the anchor nearly hit them both. He glanced up at the boat, then looked at Law once more with worry. Law frowned at him, then turned away. Giving a short exhale as Luffy's voice rang out, Sanji then said, "Thank you."

He kicked his way back up to the surface, Law glancing over his shoulder to watch him go. He watched as Sanji climbed out of the water, the boat slicing through the pushing waves, sail whipping noisily. The shadow passed over him, seemingly degrees colder than the water itself. Even as his heart pounded with urgency, Law just watched the boat move.

"They're literally going nowhere in that direction," Shachi assured him, tail lashing out as he and Penguin began to follow.

"Ha ha! Let's go make fun of them! Then maybe we can eat them when they die!"

"Oh _boy_!"

Gritting his teeth, Law slowly meandered after them, looking back at the island with some mild regret.


	6. Chapter 6

**Shadow :6**

* * *

_Probably_ , Sanji thought with building anxiety, _we would've had a better chance finding that bigger island than taking destiny by its nuts with chance!_

Zoro and Luffy were attempting to keep the broken mast straight with fishing line and rope, their attempts sloppy and full of arguments. The sails would keep them going but the weight and force of the wind had the mast shifting dangerously in place. Yet the fishing boat – not made to withstand these wide, angry seas – kept stubborn position atop of waves that dipped too low and shoved too far. Sanji was rocked in place by one such occurrence, holding tightly onto the railing as Zoro and Luffy cursed and fumbled about awkwardly with their supplies. Small objects from the cabin spilled and rattled out onto the deck, momentarily floating in mid-air when the boat caught a dip, then slamming into contact when the boat was pushed upward by a forceful wave. The building storm in the distance became more ominous the closer they drew to it – clouds building dark and low, thunder rattling the skies like a warning.

He made to go help when Zoro stopped him, shouting fiercely to be heard, " _STAY_ THERE!"

Sanji gave him a frustrated look as the pair of them continued working, shouting at each other just to be heard over the noises of rumbling thunder. The fishermen, weathered in their craft, knew more about their boat – pile of sticks that it was – than Sanji did. He had to trust them, but at the same time…

"I can help, too!" he insisted, looking at their actions. But his own experience was limited to the kitchens – he knew that, but he felt he could do something. Standing off to the side made him feel useless. He'd weathered many storms before, but his experience was limited to the inside of the ship while the regular crew took care of the outside.

After so many days of not being around humans – _humans_! – and learning to survive on his own, Sanji was suddenly reminded of his place in the world. It was almost like a slap in the face.

 _Lord, thank you for that_ , he absently thought of the experience before remembering sharply he'd denounced his loyalty based on what he had done regarding the abandonment. Sanji started to look upward before catching himself, averting his attention to the water. He couldn't see the depths below – shadowed by the building darkness from above – but even now, it no longer made sense to keep talking to someone that didn't talk back.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Zoro asked him, hand on hip as Luffy hugged the mast tight with both arms, absolved to hold it together with sheer will. Sanji looked at Zoro with a start, reaching up to fiddle with a collar that lacked buttons to hold closed.

"Doing _what_?" Sanji asked snappishly.

"I've noticed you aren't talking to _that_ guy, or doing that ridiculous swearing. Did your change your mind out there?"

"Luffy, please instruct Zoro to stop monitoring me like I'm a child. It has grown creepy, and it makes me uncomfortable."

"Zoro!" Luffy scolded, cheek pressed against the wood while Zoro gave them both exasperated looks. Luffy managed to look at Sanji, holding his own wrists with rigid determination. "But he's kind of right. I haven't heard you muttering any prayers or anything."

"Your constant accusations are weighted down with dramatics and mockery, and I feel offended," Sanji protested, giving them both scowls as he relaxed against the railing with both elbows braced. "But, what of it? I wasn't joking about the ocean being more kind than _that_ up there."

"You've come to your senses, and it took mortal disaster to finally do it," Zoro said, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's about time."

"I mean, you were in church all the time," Luffy pointed out. "And always trying to drag us there. Now you ain't saying one thing about it."

" _Now_ you keep looking at the sea, expecting to see something pop out," Zoro added. "You keep looking, and it's freaking me out. What's going to happen? Is there something down there we should know about?"

"A huge shark?" Luffy cried, releasing the mast with excitement, Zoro hastily taking up his position with a jerk of his arms and a lunge of his feet. "Or a monster? Oh, _golly_!"

"NO, that's absurd," Sanji stressed, but his eyes averted to the side because he'd already met merpeople who claimed that megalodons still existed. "I just…have a different outlook on things after evading death thus far."

When the mast toppled over, causing both Luffy and Sanji panic to capture it before the sail could get wet, Zoro shuffled out of the way with a dirty look to the cabin. "Well, either way, we need to fix this quick so we can get somewhere."

With both of them pulling in the sail, Luffy said, "Zoro! Enough with the negativity! We found Sanji, we arrived here without injury or death – destiny will help us move in the direction that we should go!"

Zoro looked at Luffy with a disgruntled frown, before looking at Sanji. Sanji avoided any eye contact, gingerly folding in his side of the sail while Luffy mashed his side together in a sloppy fold. Opening his mouth to speak, Zoro placed his hands on his hips. But before any words could escape, the sky exploded with rattling thunder. Rain began to fall with cold, angry daggers, the three of them wincing in reaction.

Seeing that Zoro was still looking at him, Sanji gestured at the sky with an index finger before indicating him with a pointed gesture. "Take a hint, meatball. _He_ doesn't think that what you want to say is that important."

"I mean, you've got a lot of luck on your side," Zoro scoffed, Luffy yanking his side of the sail with him as he made his way to the cabin. After seeing the kid safely inside, Zoro said pointedly, " _Your highness_."

Sanji scowled at him.

: :

The storm was going to pulverize that puny boat, and while Law could only watch from deep within the shifting water, he was quite aware that this was a tricky situation. Penguin and Shachi zipped freely about below him, avoiding the creatures that were actively avoiding the wild surface above their heads. The sound of the storm was loud, thunder vibrating through the depths, and the waves were angry, grabbing hands that tossed the boat like a toy. It wasn't something that should've been used to sail out this far – but if something happened, should he interfere? Could he linger nearby and just watch a human he'd grown close to die?

 _Yes_ , he heard Corazon whisper impatiently.

 _No_ , he heard himself respond stubbornly. But Law's instinct warred with him. If those were Sanji's friends, the human would expect them to be rescued as well. And if Law didn't…would the human resent him? The waves were building higher and stronger, lightening zigzagging through the clouds like extended fingers. Rain pelted the surface with violence. The boat rocked.

"I choose the smallest one, simply because I'm on a diet," Shachi declared, twisting to glide on his back to look up.

"No way! I had dibs! I told you, I'm trying to lose a few inches!" Penguin argued, zipping around him before settling onto his belly. Law watched his friends glide by with impatience, teeth grit. Schools of fish fluttered around them, protesting as Penguin went after them. A pod of whales in the distance caught their attention, their quiet murmurings about plan of action should they were spotted by the killer whale catching Law's ear. He glanced in that direction, noting the children with them.

Being this far away, he could only hear the sound of men's voices – thunder, chaotic waves drowned out the only content he could pick apart when Sanji spoke, and even that was muffled distortion. In the pulsing weight of water, Law could feel his chest tighten with apprehension.

If he should choose to be human, surviving storms like this one, in a craft like that – it seemed terribly unrealistic. Humans could die – they did all the time. But merfolk did, too. The image of Corazon flitted over his vision, and he lowered his eyes to wipe at his face with exasperation. His heart began to hammer with rising agitation and doubt; second guessing his intentions.

 _Never was I interested in solving that mystery,_ Law thought with a furrow of his brow, _because merfolk and human interaction was forbidden. The amount of searching, breaking rules and establishing an agenda into finding the one human that chose to kill Corazon was too much for any consideration. Perhaps in the same impossibilities as meeting with Sanji's invisible God_ …

 _But now that I am given a chance_ …

Law lowered his eyes to the dark, unseen depths below his tail. He recognized he was given a key to wander that upside world, simply because Sanji was a close enough link. Ivankov's implications that Sanji would lead him to his answers was all that Law needed.

The boat disappeared from his view once he looked up. The wave it was caught upon lifted it high before sending it crashing back down onto the surface. He could hear them yelling. Debris rained around Law as he skirted underneath. He reached out to grab ahold of empty drink canisters, fishing line, pieces of wood, what looked like someone's faded hat. Penguin wasn't watching where he was going, and ended up head first into one of those canisters. The penguin screeched and zipped about aimlessly, Shachi howling with laughter.

Law examined the hat, held within both hands. With a curious frown, he tried it on for himself as the surface continued to rock violently. The hat felt uncomfortable with its encasement, loose, and gave him the sensation of suffocation – that was just over his hair and ears. He ripped it off with an irritated frown, examining it once more.

 _Clothes_ , he thought with a tut. _Clothes would feel the same_.

He released the hat, absently running a hand over his naked flesh. He then drifted after the boat, watching it as Penguin managed to free himself, breathing dramatically.

"What a waste…humans are pathetic in their eagerness to feel some type of adventure. Unlike us, who is more reasonable towards our own safety."

Law paused in place, looking down at Ivankov as she drifted up to join them. She'd regained her earlier form, but her hair seemed to sparkle with something resembling glitter. It took Law a few moments to recognize it as deep sea creature bioluminescence.

"I assume your human's on that boat," she said with a scoff. She looked at him, hands where her hips should be. "Because you're trailing after it like a lost little animal, babe. And influencing your friends with such a terrible decision!"

Law gave her a look. "And you're following me… _why_?"

"I want to know if you're up to the task. I'm practically offering you something for free," she stressed, looking at him as if he were insane, "and you seem to think it's going to remain free for the rest of your life!"

"Look at them."

The pair of them watched the boat was it was launched once more. They could hear their terrified shouts and screams as the craft lost connection with water, then rushed down to slam once more against the surface. The boat rocked so violently that it nearly upended itself, spewing debris around it. From their position, they heard wood cracking noisily.

"In minutes, they'll die," Law said grimly. "Maybe I'm spoiled, but I like being a superior creature in my element."

"But think of it," Ivankov returned, lifting eyebrows that looked curiously fake, "how many of us merfolk can say that we've walked two different worlds?"

"Did you?"

"Hmf. A lady never tells," she tutted, tossing her hair.

"You are so very _annoying_ ," Law stressed with exasperation.

"Did Corazon mean anything to you?" Ivankov then barked at him, causing him to stiffen. "Did that dumb idiot touch your heart in any way? Or do you continue to think of him as a nuisance in your thoughts? Something that shouldn't have happened, but did, like say, being stung by a jellyfish when you weren't paying any attention?"

Law didn't answer, but he continued to drift after the boat. Humpback whales were visible in the distance, and they called out to each other with reassurance. Young ones stayed close to their mothers as Shachi hummed a tune, staying careful distance from them.

 _I don't and didn't want to be human, but_ … _I_ _recognize I could be given a chance to do something I'm sure I'd obsess about later if I reject it now_ , he thought to himself with frustration. _And…Sanji_ …

Law recognized that his feelings were alien in that direction, but they were there. They were there because the human was constantly in his thoughts, and just the image of the human – that smile – gave him a desperate warmth that made him uncomfortable to acknowledge. _Affection_.

The boat overturned against a ferocious wave that barreled upwards and crashed down through the surface. Animals scattered with alarm, Law and Ivankov immediately blending in with their surroundings to remain unseen. In that moment, almost in a slow motion roll, Law saw the younger man holding tightly onto the mast with one arm, the other outstretched to hold tightly onto the neck of the green haired man, both of them swinging around with the force of the boat as it twisted and turned with the force of the wave. For a moment, he didn't see Sanji, but as the boat started to right itself, popping back up towards the surface, Law saw the blonde holding onto the younger man's waist while he clung to the mast from a lower point than them. Time sped up and the boat and its occupants were back up onto the surface, being beaten again by the angry sea.

"If I should take you up on the offer," Law said slowly, hand over his pounding heart, "I would be a vulnerable person. As they clearly won't survive the storm, I'd die just as they do. It'd be a waste to take that chance."

Ivankov smirked at him. "That's the thing, hon," she said low, sidling up to him. "When we change, we just lose the gills and tails. When we walk amongst them, _we're_ the gods."

Law frowned at her.

"I'd make my decision pretty quickly, dear," Ivankov then said, fluttering away. "You're going to lose your chance very soon."

"Why? You'll take back the offer?"

"No…one thing about humans," Ivankov said slowly, her form suddenly starting to expand, "is that they never stay away from danger for very long. While us merfolk do what we can to preserve ourselves, humans enjoy the thrill of life or death. Stupid as they are, they're never alone for long."

Confused by that, Law watched the kraken expand throughout the space, causing alarm amongst most of the creatures that were there. Penguin and Shachi were trying to escape her tentacles' reach, but compared to the strength and speed of her multiple limbs, their dashing about guaranteed them no safety. They wound up taking cover behind Law directly while the kraken cackled noisily, her arms reaching up for the surface.

Alarmed, Law shot after her. "What are you doing?"

"I am a sea witch, Law! As merfolk, it is our will to kill humans before they can kill us! And how can I resist the screams of human beings right above my glorious head?" she shrilled, tentacles reaching and pushing out past the surface. Law looked up at the boat with fright – maybe in the violent pelting of strong wind, rain and chaotic ocean waves, the humans hadn't noticed them but her fingers were dangerously close to the boat as she sought them. He hastily swept past her, and slammed into the underside of the boat.

Wood snapped under the weight of his grasp, fingers breaking through the smooth, barnacle spotted underbelly. Straining to push back against the waves, Law used his tail to shove the craft back away from Ivankov's fingers. He wore an expression of panic as he caught himself.

 _What am I doing_? He thought with terror. He didn't have much time to reflect on it as the waves above began pushing against him – back towards Ivankov's hand.

"Just let it happen, buddy," Penguin said with a whisper near his head, using Law as cover from the cackling kraken. "Let her eat the humans – there's always others!"

Law felt something inside of him distort and rupture – seeing Corazon without his tail and arms, floating amidst his own decaying debris in waters that were supposed to keep them safe. The shrill screams of merfolk that were witness to it, the cries of voices in the distance that shouted for help. But within that memory were images of darker, colder waters; where merfolk dangled in the water above their cave-like homes, their skin coloring light and as pale as bleached fish bones. Where their facial expressions were sick, their eyes and tongues ghostly white; the cries of his little sister as she succumbed to a painful illness Law couldn't even remember the name of. Fishing boats of humans that coasted just above their heads, harpoons shooting through the waters as men spoke gravely.

"You can do it, you have it in you," Law heard the voice of his father say, his gentle hands atop of Law's shoulders. "Go. _GO_!"

A new sense of urgency hit him at that moment – he could picture the little bird island, and all the good things that had happened in the water there. Sanji's voice, the sight of his smile, the way he touched Law – the veins in his hands and forearms seemed to bulge against his skin as Law strained to hold onto the boat, opening his eyes just in time to see Ivankov's hands twist and reach for him, her purple-black tentacles shooting out through the surface to curl over all of them.

The warmth he could feel in his chest transferred to his arms and Law thought of the island once more, pushing the craft up and backward – a clumsy throw that would seemingly push it out of the kraken's reach. But the moment it left his hands, the boat was gone. From the surface above, twirling like it were caught by an underwater tornado, was one of the rocks from Sanji's fire pit.

All that was left were the sea creatures and the turbulent noises of the sea. Ivankov's left eye twisted and seemed to bulge like an ugly balloon as Law felt all his strength leave him. Shachi immediately caught him, Penguin gasping as Law weakly gripped his friend's dorsal fin with fingers that didn't seem like they'd curl completely, but the killer whale easily maneuvered his larger body around so the fishman could settle his weight atop of him. Ivankov shrank, wearing a shocked expression the entire time. Thunder rumbled noisily overhead, ruptured the waters.

" _What was that_?" she asked clumsily, eyes huge against her speckled face. As she fluttered her eyelashes, some of the urchin spines drifted from contact. "W…what was that?"

Law couldn't quite speak. He felt winded from the inside out. But in his thoughts, he remembered bits and pieces of panic so raw and bitter that it left his throat dry. The men with harpoons, the boats that rocked with men laughing and shouting at each other – the bodies of the dead that were already destructed by rot and disease, falling apart by the spears that pierced their forms. His own parents in pieces – these images shifted to the sight of Corazon once more. In viewing these scenes, raw moments in his life that seemed to be missing and suddenly brought back to life, Law didn't answer.

" _That's_ why he took you," Ivankov said, fluttering closer to them, still wearing an expression of shock. "That's why he brought you here. You're…you're _special_."

"Your voice is so _annoying_ ," Law grunted, exhausted.

Ivankov, with flustered actions that included fluffing her hair and realizing the state of her eyelashes, suddenly looked timid. "I didn't mean to do that," she then said hastily. "I just…I didn't realize…look. Go get some rest, hon. _Then_ we'll talk. But…now it all makes sense. Corazon didn't tell you everything, did he?"

Law looked at her with irritation. "He was a stupid fish that was no bigger threat to anything other than himself. Of course he told me nothing."

Ivankov swallowed hard, nodding. "Okay. _Well_. I'll make up for this."

With that she hurried away, swirling down to the dark depths below. Lightening zigzagged through the sky above them, the storm raging. Penguin looked at Law with worry, Shachi easily keeping the fishman afloat. Both animals were quite aware of Law's abilities, and didn't blink an eye to the magic that had just occurred.

"Where'd you put them?" Penguin asked.

: :

The wind battered the small, thin trees. The boat was laying on its rudder, washing board ripped apart. The deck was shattered and spread open, the cabin sunk and destroyed. Luffy was asleep on the beach, Zoro nearby. Sanji was on cabin floor, sputtering as his head pounded with a headache. Once he realized the state of their surroundings, he struggled to lift his head. Every part of him was aching and sore, his forehead mottled with fresh mounds. Blood stained what was left of his shirt, from injuries he could feel, but couldn't see. The sunlight was bright, the birds noisy as ever as they investigated their newest intruders, and marveled over the state of the boat. Sliding out and away from the cabin, every movement stiff and difficult, Sanji's bare feet hit the warming sand and a sense of disbelief began to sweep over him. It took him a few minutes to even register that they were back where they started.

His hand went up to his head, touching his wounds with light action. Wincing, he stumbled towards his friends before turning and looking back at the boat. The storm was so chaotic, the winds so vicious that Sanji had no doubt they'd just been blown back to where they started. Every part of him ached with frustration and yet relief – relief because despite their position, they were alive. The sea should have killed them – their boat was a twig in hurricane, and if the waves hadn't killed them, being dumped into the sea should have.

Luffy made sure none of them did. Every time he or Zoro made to lose their connection with the ship, Luffy's hands were on them like a vise, welding strength that could have been godly. Luffy was the reason why Sanji had been tossed into the cabin, the moment it seemed like they were going to smash for the last time into the relentless, crushing sea surface. He had been trying to send Zoro right in after him when they were suddenly in motion – backwards.

But with the sand under his feet, the sun sparkling above and the complaints of birds in the trees – Sanji wasn't sure if his thoughts were correct. The memory of that moment was cut off. It was almost mystifying that it would cut off in such a way that he couldn't remember exactly what happened. He moved towards Luffy, heaving the kid onto his back and noting his injuries. Bruised, battered and mottled with fresh bruises, wood splinters in his bare hands – those were speckled with sand, mixed with blood. He'd held so tightly onto something made of wood, and his palms were embedded with wood pieces, a chunk of it clasped in one hand. Sanji had to marvel over the kid's pure strength and will before he affectionately brushed dirty black hair from a peacefully sleeping face. Since it seemed like Luffy was alright, Sanji went to check on Zoro.

He was snoring loudly, but all his injuries consisted of was a lone cut to the cheek and some bruises that left his skin swollen and hard to the touch. He had some material clutched in his fingers – as if he'd caught Luffy before the kid could leave him. Sanji found that it was Luffy's sweater vest, and he gingerly pulled it from Zoro's fingers before the man could freak himself out when he awoke. He didn't want Zoro thinking he'd lost the kid, disoriented when he couldn't find him or see that they were back where they started. With a grunt, Sanji grabbed the man by the shoulders and dragged him up by Luffy's side.

It was a lot of work and effort, so Sanji sat down on the beach with a hard sigh, looking out at the sea. The storm had left some straggling clouds on the horizon, left the waters a foamy dark blue. While he was scanning the shore, pressing a palm against a pounding headache, he noticed a curious detail. Looking back at the boat, he observed its haphazard dangers – the broken hull, the missing mast, the crushing indentures that made it impossible to repair. He then looked to the shore, looking for dragging marks that the craft should have left behind when shoved from water to sand. The beach was absolutely smooth and clear, save for the birds' footprints left behind in their activities.

 _Were we dropped_ _directly from the heavens_? He wondered with bewilderment, looking back at the craft. He could see the remnants of his firepit, the place where he'd sheltered smashed directly underneath the boat. The way the sand cratered underneath, Sanji felt that his thought was correct. He looked up at the blue sky, seagulls swarming overhead with complaints and angry shouts directed towards him for his return. Heart thumping with apprehension, he wondered if it were the wind that made this possible – or that a wave could have tossed them. Or…

 _Was this a divine act of God_?

The thought was terrifying. What if He were reaching out to tell Sanji He was still watching him? That this was only His way of telling Sanji He existed, despite Sanji's earlier judgement. Fear made its way to his heart, and he exhaled shakily, hand pressed to his chest.

 _Was I wrong to denounce you_? He wondered. Without the voices of humans, hearing the cries of birds around him, Sanji's blood ran cold through his veins. After some reflection, he sluggishly crawled to his knees, swallowing tightly. His cold hands came together in prayer form, pulling himself together, drawing words and desperate apologies to his tongue. Before he could give his deity the attention that he felt was necessary, he heard some splashing from the water.

He looked up sharply, watching as Penguin shuffled his way onto shore with his flippers spread out for balance and his beak open with light panting.

"Shit," the animal muttered, "I'm so fat, I can barely waddle. Hey! Hey, human! You still alive?"

The sight of the animal caused Sanji's hands to fall to his lap. He watched Penguin with amusement as he huffed and puffed his way through the sand to stand in front of him.

"Clearly," he answered.

"This sand is no joke. We aren't made for this mess," Penguin muttered, flippers at his side as he caught his breath. He looked over at the other two. "They alive? Shachi's starving. I was going to ask for your help dragging their bodies out so we can feast."

"They're alive. We all are. Just…we're back here, and that thing is just pretty firewood."

"Well, you can thank Law for that," Penguin told him, Sanji's face twitching. "Look, so, I was sent here to make sure you guys made it alright."

"How'd he…? What do you mean – he's not that _that_ strong, is he?" Sanji murmured, clearly shocked as he struggled to imagine how the three of them, plus a fishing boat, could even wind up on the island as they were.

"What? I mean, yeah, he can break a few shells with his fingers, but – anyway, whenever he does it, he gets real tired, so he's napping right now. Just wanted to make sure you guys made it. I don't know why he's gotta be all that considerate," Penguin added with a roll of his entire head, "but I guess he'll come see you later. So don't attempt to swim anywhere, like you always do, and make him look for you."

Sanji held his jaw, examining the black and white makeup of the animal's markings. "So, he…forced us back here. Did this to our boat…our only method of escaping…"

"Either that or die under a kraken's paw. That thing is _scary_ ," Penguin added on a whisper. "Ivankov was deadset on eating you all. Anyway, Law changed her mind, so that's good. Later. I'm drying out over here."

Sanji watched him waddle back to the water with muttered curses and catcalls towards seagulls that shouted derogatory phrases down at him. He wasn't sure what to make of the animal's tale, but something about it sounded outrageous. A kraken? A mythical creature that could pull down entire galleons without effort? What was Ivankov exactly, besides a he/she? A sea witch that was _actually_ a kraken? This went against his earlier horror, and he found it difficult to accept anything at all.

He glanced guiltily to the sky, which was brilliant with blooming blue color, the sun already warming the area with its blazing heat. _An act of God? Or sea witches?_ He thought with sick confusion, stomach roiling and ears ringing. _Am I a prisoner? Or am I being punished_?

He felt the weight of a stare, and jerked around to look back at the others. Zoro was sitting up, rubbing at the back of his head and giving Sanji a funny look. Sanji froze, his face losing color and breath pausing in mid-movement as he wondered why that expression.

"Who were you talking to?" Zoro asked. "Some weird animal squawking woke me up."

Sanji wasn't sure how to answer, or even if he should lie – at this point, what else would be revealed while they were on this island? What should he feel if he should reveal he had been traipsing around without shame with an underwater sea creature whose actions were questionable at this point? He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"No one. _Obviously_."

Zoro watched him suspiciously. The blonde was sitting on his knees, hands in his lap – and his expression looked rather guilty. But he heard what he heard, and he was quite positive he'd heard Sanji speaking to some animal with some obnoxious squawking. The birds that fluttered overhead were noisy seagulls, and some brown birds he couldn't identify. The island was uncomfortably small without resources, the trees too young to use to repair their boat. Should they have to linger while they figured something out, they'd have to fish. Which was no problem, as he and Luffy were pros at it.

He groaned as he rubbed his head again, upsetting dry crusty blood from his forehead. "I can't even remember what happened after that last wave…but we wound up here. Guess we didn't get that far."

"Hopefully your piece of shit boat has a good amount of supplies to use for a bit. Fire, at least. I can cook if you can catch."

"Never doubt my catching skills." Zoro glanced at him, noticing Sanji's dart of eyes towards the sea. He lifted a knee to rest his elbow atop of it. "Praying for our souls, or giving thanks?"

Sanji didn't answer, blinking at a settled sea. But his fingers curled into light fists. He was used to Zoro's ribbing, never taking it personal, but this time, his feelings were ruptured by uncertainty and fear. So he wasn't sure how to answer, choosing not to.

"We're gonna make it out of here," Zoro said with clumsy assurance, rising slowly to his feet. He cracked his spine, moving from side to side with noisy pops. "We blew in, we'll just blow right out."

"Are you attempting to assure me?"

"Someone has to, highness. Hey. Luffy. Get up."

Sanji rolled his eyes as Zoro kicked Luffy, pushing him awake with one boot. Luffy mumbled some words, rolled over, and continued to snore. Rising to his feet, Sanji brushed his clothes off with both hands.

"Stop calling me that," he told Zoro snappishly.

"You should definitely use this opportunity," Zoro then advised, looking for a hat that was not there. He waited for Sanji to join him, the blonde looking at him with doubt. "As suspicious as all of that was…they weren't sending boats for rescue. They were sending for recovery. None of the survivors knew they were sailing with a member of royalty in the first place. So the news that you perished with the ship was…blasted."

"I was an ordinary worker."

"Using fake papers that Nami gave you!"

"Mr Donquixote knew I was on there."

"And yet, despite that, there are no _rescue_ ships."

Sanji gave a long pause.

"If you took to a life like ours, I assure you, the freedom is _immense_ ," Zoro said with assurance. "But don't expect me or Luffy to be the attendees like you're used to."

Sanji scowled at him. "I beg your pardon, you dog. Have I _ever_ asked for your attendance? I'll have you know, I…"

He paused because Law's name came to his lips suddenly. He said hastily, "I'll get my say when I'm there."

"We knew you were out here," Zoro said stiffly. He gave a nod of confidence. " _We_ knew you'd find your way, somehow. But…doesn't it bother you that your own family didn't even bother? That's why I'm saying, use this moment to your advantage and just…walk away. Start something new."

"I'll _consider_ your advice, good sir," Sanji said, giving him a snobbish sniff and turn of his head. "Especially since I've seen where some of your choices have sent you."

Zoro rolled his eyes, turning away from him. "Whatever."

Once Luffy finally woke, the three of them took most of the morning to agonize over the state of their boat. Sanji wore a stiff expression, nervously looking from sea to sky from time to time while the fishermen looked over their craft. Luffy's jovial attitude about it made the return easier to bear, and both of them were confident that their limited tools would allow them to at least remove the larger pieces to create a floating craft that would allow them to set to sea once more. None of them were woodworkers, but since the pair were easier to go with the flow than fall into pits of despair, Sanji trusted that they knew what they were talking about.

They had some minimal supplies from a tiny kitchen that was included in the cabin – it had the bare basics of a restroom, storage spaces for bedding and clothes, an area for their tools and fishing supplies. They entrusted Sanji with the food aspects of their survival, and Sanji was relieved to find enough to make simple fish dishes with a serving of fragrant tea. Zoro was happy to find that his alcohol was still in the icebox, and Luffy whined about the loss of his outfit, protesting when Sanji scolded him into keeping his clothes on to avoid sunburn.

So when early evening fell, fire made from parts of the boat that couldn't be salvaged, Sanji faced the sea. He was nervous about revealing Law to them; knowing that with Zoro's sharp eyes and Luffy's unfiltered questions would certainty reveal some things, but at the same time, Sanji wasn't certain what was at work. His god, or witchery – which made him ultimately nervous because while his belief rejected certain subjects based on their negativity, he'd seen and experienced what he had to know that he was okay to question the existence of someone he couldn't see or speak with.

This wavering uncertainty and grueling nail to his beliefs compared to what he was experiencing made his chest and stomach upset.

He sat on the outcropping of rocks that he used to fish off of, hearing Luffy shout at the birds to entertain him while Zoro nursed a canister of alcohol near the firepit. Using one of the spare rods that the pair had without any real intention to catch anything, Sanji watched the shadows of the water shift and shape according to movement. He hadn't seen Shachi or Penguin since this morning, and he wondered what would change now that things were as they were. From his position, he could feel Zoro staring at him from the distance, and it made his shoulder blades twitch with irritation.

The moon revealed herself as the sky darkened, and the flame of the firepit alit most of the shoreline. He glanced back with apprehension, noticing that Zoro had fallen asleep – canister dangling from his callused fingers. Luffy was rustling through the remains of the boat, looking satisfied once he retrieved a mallet. Watching him with wary suspicion, Sanji saw Luffy start to whistle while throwing cautious looks towards Zoro, sneaking away on tiptoe. Once he saw Sanji watching him, Luffy froze in the literal position he was in, eyes widening. Sanji lifted his eyebrow with question, Luffy obviously breaking out in a nervous sweat.

"What are you doing?" Sanji asked, trying to hide his amusement in his stern tone.

" _Nothing_ ," Luffy answered quickly, hiding the mallet aside one thigh. He continued to stare back at Sanji with rounded eyes, his expression struggling to remain nonchalant.

"What do you have there?"

" _Nothing_. I mean, I found it. I was just…returning it." Luffy tossed it back into the boat and backed away. Still facing Sanji, he took big steps backward to walk around the boat, walking out of Sanji's sight.

 _I_ should _go investigate, but I can't imagine what he'd need that for_ , Sanji thought with a frown, craving nicotine. _There is nothing on this island that would require the use of a mallet. How much trouble could he get into?_

He felt a tug on the line, and turned his attention to it, lightly jerking the rod as he began tightening the spool. The line loosened once more, so he ended up not drawing up a thing. With a half frown, he cast again. Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned his head in that direction. Seeing the fishman examine the lure with a mystified expression caused Sanji's to stiffen. After a quick glance back, he slithered from the rocks into the water, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out at the temperature that shocked his limbs. He abandoned the fishing rod with a toss, pulling the lure from Law's fingertips.

"What happened?" Sanji whispered sharply, gesturing behind. "That fluffy fish said _you_ did that!"

"Ivankov," Law replied gravely, not bothering to lower his voice. Sanji shushed him, hands fluttering about while Law gave him an insulted snarl at the feel of fingers against his mouth.

"Lower your voice," Sanji instructed sternly. "Speak quietly."

"Why?"

" _SHHH_ -! They can hear you!"

"I understand that – "

"SHH! _QUIET_!"

"Don't _shhhhush_ me! I can speak however I want – they don't understand anything I say!"

"But they can hear me talking to someone, and they'll think it's strange hearing your voice in response!"

Law frowned at him stubbornly, Sanji peeking over the rocks to see if Zoro had moved, or if Luffy had revealed himself. When neither presented any harm, he turned back to Law. With flustered actions at his hair, Sanji managed to lower himself to his knees, his head barely above water. His teeth chattered noisily for a few moments while he hugged himself, trying to adjust to the temperature. But in the presence of the sea creature, Sanji realized everything he had prepared himself to say seemed to fade away. Law watched him with an intense expression of warring confusion and irritation, and it was interesting to see his face twitch that way.

But both of them absorbed the other's presence like sponges – silently finding comfort in company, again. Neither were sure of the others' feelings or thoughts, but their own individual comforts had been pleased.

Still, Sanji asked with trepidation, "Am I your prisoner?"

" _No_. Stupid. I told you what we do with those. Besides," Law trailed off, wearing a frown. As shallow as the water was, he could rest comfortable with his head out of water, but he still lowered himself to breathe easier, gills vaguely glittering under the moon's light.

"Then how did we wind up back here?"

"It was I who solved that problem."

"Did you drag and throw the whole boat onto the shore? My God, are you… _Hercules_ , or something?"

" _No_ , idiot. I don't know who that is. But even I'm incapable of throwing things. Use your head."

"Don't talk to me so roughly when you've yet to explain yourself."

"You all were to die out there, anyway. Ivankov was going to make sure of it. She took on the form of the kraken, so I…" Law trailed off. It occurred to him suddenly that he'd never had to explain how or what he did to someone else, other than Penguin or Shachi. So his expression took on a bewildered one, Sanji watching him with vexation. Law's memories, things he'd thought forgotten or recovered from, returned with upsetting intensity. He had no idea that what he was experiencing was a form of PTSD – that his mind unconsciously repressed and hid so that he could function and survive, only emerging through moments of reaction and action. Corazon had been in his life for a short time – he'd spent most of it alone, also as a result of his trauma.

So expressing himself to another being that could understand him felt like a shock.

But Sanji waited for him to explain, losing his impatience to take on a patient one. Really, he was just admiring the other's features. Battling inside feelings that felt alien and wrong because perhaps they were the wrong ones to feel at this time; when he doubted himself and his faith, this was no time for _admiration_.

"Removed you from the situation and guaranteed her cooperation with inadvertent action that commanded her respect," Law finished slowly. "That's…that's it."

"How?"

Law examined his upheld hands, so Sanji looked down at them as well. Every individual finger, the oily backs of his hands – the way the bones jutted against the surface – _perfect_ , Sanji thought wondrously. He shivered.

"Sometimes, I can do things," Law said slowly. "All I have to do is remember back then and now to do it."

Confused, Sanji asked, "Like having a photographic memory?"

At Law's confused expression, Sanji hastily explained the term as best as he could. Then he said, "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"I can travel short distances without actually swimming through them at all. Only works if I've been there, though," Law added. Those long journeys with Corazon – they traveled along major currents, explored various changing seas, whipped over deep trenches with menacing darknesses that made young Law cling close to the older merman's side. Despite himself, he couldn't remember ever using these abilities with Corazon present. So why would Ivankov say such things…?

Sanji tried to understand, but he couldn't. At this point, he was certain Law had magical abilities but his mind didn't hold such a big imagination. So the things the merman said made no sense to him.

 _Witchcraft_? He thought. _But I was taught that aspect was wrong and evil. And there's nothing about this creature that is either of that if he ignored his own instincts to help me. Once again, I am in doubt of my own beliefs._

"Does that make you a sea witch, too?" he asked tentatively.

"I've never thought of it that way, but, perhaps," Law answered, furrowing his own brow with question. "But I've seen what Ivankov can do – that is something I cannot do. Being able to allow me to walk as a human – I can't imagine how she is able to do that."

"Did you want to? Do that, now? Come back with us?"

"I was given the choice." Law stopped before he could say whether or not he wanted to. His frustration was visible upon his face as he finally lowered his hands to the water.

"But she was never direct on whether or not she could change you back. If you should…what happens to Shachi and Penguin?"

"What if I don't like being human?"

"Ignoring the fact that there are rules," Sanji said excitedly, "there are other things to look forward to. The different landscapes, the different people, customs – trying new foods, seeing new places! Reading a new book of fairytales, seeing beautiful women - !"

"They all look weird like you?"

"I am not a beautiful woman. I am a gorgeous man."

Law tutted, Sanji scowling at him. "I haven't been bowed by anything beautiful in my life. Saying that your females are beautiful while complimenting yourself – "

"I have a natural confidence that can't be ignored. You fishpeople clearly have no taste at all. From your talks of…of…physical expressions, even, you settle for what's available, not for what you like."

"Yes, you _were_ the only human available for my curiosities."

"Oh? So when you look at those other two jokes back there, do you think - ?"

"Your tone is different," Law stated, looking at him with a tilt of his head. Sanji realized his voice had changed ever so slightly, and cleared his throat with a fist to his mouth. "Maybe most of us don't have similar expressions or opinions, it is only…"

Law searched for the right expression to use as he ran his mind over the underwater world he lived in. "Sometimes there are territorial disputes, or fear of cannibalisms, but humans were our only true terror. Coming up here to speak with you has opened the door for more of my curiosities. There's such a range of explorations in expressions and emotions."

"And, there is the connection you have with Corazon's killer. Ivankov had mentioned it as motivation for my being human. That's the consideration I'm giving to this decision. I'd like to know why he was killed."

Sanji gave him a stumped look. "I don't know that name."

"He referred to himself as another name, but perhaps it wasn't important for me to know. But Ivankov mentioned that this…the owner of your ship would know. And so…I should speak with him about it."

"Why not Ivankov itself?"

"Perhaps she cannot turn human."

"It was a human that was approaching me before I…er, napped. With both…" Sanji gestured at his chest and then at himself. " _Both_!"

"That's sometimes common down there. They change because – "

" _Do you_?"

" _No_ , I don't have to! I don't want to! I wasn't interested in that aspect of life, I told you this a million times! Stop asking me about that!"

Sanji ended up laughing because of Law's exasperated tone and angry countenance. Law found himself enraptured by the change of expression on the human's face, the quiet sound of his laugh light against the water waves, amplified only by the outcropping of rocks that hid them from the others. Sanji reached out to clap him on the shoulder, Law jolting with the hit.

"The more I learn of these things, that they exist…" Sanji trailed off slowly, examining the different colors of the fishman's skin that seemed to turn darker with the incoming night. He looked at his own, blazingly obvious through the darkness of the water. "The more I feel less connected to what I know. But…I can show you the world if you needed me, to. This adventure could be ours!"

Law was interested in the prospect – of having the human with him through it all. Spending more time with him, watching him speak of the things he liked, patiently answering his questions – guiding him with his weirdly different emotions that he expressed freely…then when he realized he was picturing them adventuring together, he quickly cleared his head of those weird, foolish thoughts.

Misinterpreting Law's expression for uncertainty in the aspect, Sanji reached out to grasp loosely at Law's wrist.

"We'd be doing this together," Sanji then insisted quietly. "It'd be a new world for us both. Because, I…"

"Well, purposely, it'd be important for you to take me to the owner of your ship," Law stated. "Because, for some reason, he is the one connected to Corazon's death."

"…The owner? Um…well, I…" Sanji fumbled for the right words to use, Law waiting patiently for him to express himself. "Sure. Perhaps…that's something I can do."

After a few moments of quiet, Law reached for Sanji's face. His cold fingers, slick with natural oils, coasted gently over the mottled bumps over his forehead. "Humans are so easily damaged," he murmured with doubt. His own fingertips smeared away the injuries, Sanji wincing at the feel of warm electricity zapping into his skin; like pelting, warm rain. Then Law paused, hand hovering over the human's face. "Ivankov warned me that I wouldn't be like you."

Sanji reached for that wrist, unable to resist laying one cheek over that cold, strong palm. It felt like it had been ages since they'd last touched each other. He couldn't imagine how he'd react that fishy hand once (if) Law was human. It made his blood warm in a now familiar way. Law watched the gesture, seemingly enraptured by his own feelings – touch, being touched, gave him a sensation that made him feel greedy. That made him conscious of how long it had been since someone had touched him with kindness.

"Not…human?"

"Human – I mean, I'd have legs, I'm sure," Law stammered ever so slightly. Sanji looked at him once he detected the tremble in the other's voice, and realized how intensely he was being looked upon. It made his chest expand with emotion, his head dizzy – nothing was wrong or right when it was just the two of them, and the power in that rendered him thoughtless to any insecurities he'd been suffering before that.

Now he understood why people reacted so hotly when they were in love.

 _Not that this is 'love'_ , he hastily told himself, inhaling sharply and lowering Law's hand to the water. _No, not between fish and man._

When he noticed that crinkle dip between too serious amber eyes, he confessed clumsily, "Sometimes, just looking at you makes me stupid, and I can't think."

"You're always stupid," Law stated with some confusion. Sanji had to laugh again, forgetting his environment, pushing up close to wrap his arms around the merman's waist. It always gave him a thrill to be this close, to forget everything around them. Law pushed away from the shallows with him, arm around his back, and suddenly they were underwater, where it was quiet, dark, and all that mattered was the presence of the other in front of them. Out here, Sanji could openly admit that the feel of the fishman's too muscular body felt sensational against his; the feel of slick skin against his made his blood tingle, and his stomach rock with unsteady but welcomed nervousness.

Forgetting his earlier intention, Law was pleased with how comfortable he could hold the human close; knowing that he was trusted, and being relatively careful with handling gently. Because of that, he noticed details he'd skip over in favor of something bigger; he was more aware of the length of Sanji's body against his, the way his legs curled and bent around him, the minute feel of his toenails and the fine hairs on his toes against the scales of his tail. The difference in texture of Sanji's skin on his, the warmth of his flesh combating his own colder temperature. The warmth of his palm against his back, the feel of his fingertips digging into his flesh, kneading his muscle.

In the water, Sanji rested his forehead against the bristly hairs of Law's chin, one hand free to scratch lightly over the absurdly detailed muscles of law's pectorals. The fishman's body made holding his breath so difficult – his natural reaction was to inhale, to press his mouth against skin, but his human instinct told him 'no'. If Law were human…would his want change? In this state, in this mood, Sanji felt his thoughts run in all directions but the obvious ones.

"Or, I could just stay with you," he said, bubbles escaping his mouth before he could close it. Law had to unclench himself to focus, his whole body strumming with urgent heat and need. He realized how tightly wound he was around the damn human and his lithe frame. His tail was twitching, inching to move into position so they could find relief together. His body was traitorous to his common sense and thoughts. But once he heard Sanji's words, his mind seemed to unfurl from its building focus towards what his body wanted.

"You wouldn't like it," Law answered tightly. Before Sanji could argue, he said, "Because you're more of the sun than the dark down here."

 _Oh, how_ romantic! Sanji couldn't help himself to think, looking at him. Positive that he was looking at Law like a breathless maiden, because while those words were uttered with serious doubt, all he could hear was how he was being compared to the sun.

"And I can't help but think of the maintenance you'd require," Law continued, reaching between them to find the unnecessarily small buttons on those ugly high waisted trousers. "Because these things you wear, you seem to find security in."

That brought Sanji back. He gave Law a scowl, pushing his hand back. He headed to the surface, Law looking with confusion to his empty arms to the human escaping him. Before he could give chase, Sanji took a deep breath and returned to him, using him as weight to hold himself there.

"Let's say you turn human," he then said. "Grow legs, speak the language. Your mannerisms, lack of inhibition and general manners will give you away. You may fit in with those idiots up there, but if you were in my world? It's a completely different caste!"

"Why? Men are equal, aren't they?"

"…No. Those layers on the ships, they mean something."

"But you spoke of yourself as a servant…?"

Sanji held his hands in prayer form before slashing them down. "That's…something else I need to confess to. It's…rather important."

"Then – "

"I wasn't open with you, because I was convinced I would perish. I…I should mention something else."

"Is it that important?" Law asked, pulling him down by his waist. "I don't want to talk of boring things right now."

Sanji impatiently pushed at his face. "One track, dirty minded fish! I'm trying to open myself up!"

"I think," Law said, shoving his hands away from his face and capturing him from behind, restraining his arms to his sides with ease and using his weight to keep Sanji from yanking away. The human kicked anyway, churning the water with growls and flailing legs until he realized what he was doing. "That those things don't matter as much to me as you think they should. These things could be discussed later. What matters to me at this moment is acknowledging your eagerness to escape, and my chance to take Ivankov's offer. If I should take the offer, and I have yet to decide that this is something I should do over what I want to do, I need your assurance that you'll give me what I am looking for without the threat of you killing me in return."

"Why would I kill you? Aren't we over that? I have never even thought of killing you - !" Sanji paused to reflect on that, relaxed in the fishman's grasp despite his early stages of wanting air. "Well, a couple of times I've considered it, actually, but those were valid reasons. Once up there, of course I wouldn't say a thing of what you really are."

"Up there, I could be considered at your mercy."

"I am not the type of human you think I am, good sir. You distrust humans so much, but your damned fish dick is poking at my back - !"

"You keep wiggling in a way that's pleasing," Law said with a sigh, wearing a mopey expression. "I am trying to hold a serious conversation with you – "

"You are a man full of lies! Is this how women feel?" Sanji then wondered aloud with some horror, fingers to his mouth as bubbles escaped. "Unhand me. I need to breathe."

"Sanji, I trust no one but Shachi and Penguin. I choose not to take the company of others because they leave – they're expendable. You keep trying to kill yourself. I have issues."

" _Issues_ is right!" Sanji said, unable to stop himself from laughing. He wiggled mightily to face the fishman that only relaxed his hold to allow this movement. Once there, Sanji couldn't help feeling weak to a face that was clearly looking for assurance from him. At that moment, his heart was absolutely weak to his own judgement. His fingers found their way to the fishman's face, cradling the feel of sharp cheekbones and smooth indentures. "In all honesty, idiot, I would do my best to give you everything."

"That type of talk is idiotic, because I don't want that much. Just answers to my questions."

"I'm dying, and you're killing me," Sanji then said, managing to get his feet between them and kicking the fishman in the stomach to separate them. Once he gasped for air, he combed his is hair from his face, looking up at the brightly shining moon in the sky. Before he could breathe in, Law yanked him back under, hands roving over Sanji's back and sides. Sensing that conversation was over, Sanji smiled at him, forehead pressed to forehead. He _wanted_ this connection – as sinful and outrageous as it was – and there was a heavy sense of relief being in the company of the underwater creature. It felt like the world he'd known was a faraway place; this one, here and now, was the right one. His arms folded around the fishman's shoulders, mindful of the gills there.

He nuzzled cold, oily flesh with his nose, lips barely touching skin that felt slick and rough with scales that felt like sharp stubble. It excited him, these new and worldly feelings, and it scared him because this was another male he'd fallen for. Something he never thought he'd do. Something he was taught was wrong and evil. How could it be when he felt so free and warm?

Law heard the distant sounds of muffled voices and movements, but it was too far away, it didn't sound alarming, and nothing mattered when the human smiled at him so sweetly. His chest ached under Sanji's touch, and his head was fuzzy with warmth as he heard Sanji's heart thump with rising excitement just looking at him.

 _So this is why they chose their companions,_ Law thought idly. Why creatures preferred company of someone that made their chest hurt and scattered their thoughts and allowed them to create new ones. This was why some chose to find physical relief, touching with appreciation and desperation, ignoring voyeur's eyes and attention. This was why some crossed oceans to be together. The world felt new and right when there was someone important right in front of them. The anxiety have not having them in reach was gone, replaced with alien feelings of clinginess and security.

It was frightening to acknowledge that. Frightening to know how strong it was. Frightening to know that while he was in the midst of it, he couldn't think as he normally could when away. At the edge of his mind, those noises in the distance caused the water to vibrate ever so slightly; his instinct told him a merperson was in distress. But his other feelings were fully focused on a human whose eyes seemed to fill with amazing warmth when focused upon him. Law's head was spinning, and his body was sizzling with rising heat. One of Sanji's hands left his face, trailing over Law's collarbone, moving over his chest. The feel of his palm felt amazing against Law's cooler skin. The way the human's fingertip traced over the indentures and ridges caused Law's skin to pimple with bumps. He wasn't aware that a simple touch like this could ignite such fire within him.

Sanji was riveted by the fishman's reactions to just his touch. Unaware of the noises Law was vaguely aware of, Sanji was focused on the way Law's eyes grew heavy, the way his gills and muscles seemed to puff in reaction just to his touch. Would he have the same reaction in someone else? Would someone look at him like he was the only living being left in the world? It gave him a sense of power, something he couldn't obtain amongst other men unless it was using his title or feet to get what he wanted. He wondered if Law felt the same way towards him, feeling powerful with the ability to turn Sanji into moldable putty in his hands.

Sanji's hand moved down the rigid strength of Law's stomach, tracing the rope of muscle that turned into thicker scales that caught to his skin with the similar sensation of Velcro. From there, he found the section delicately covered by fins that felt as light and sheer as butterfly wings. Behind that veil were twin, soft mounds that allowed him to think of swollen lips that only seemed to swell when the organ behind them started to stiffen. He could feel that at the tips of his fingers, the sensation of oil making its presence known despite the temperature that encased them both. Sanji had learned that if he dipped his fingers between those two mounds, he could coax out the fishman's dick like it were a shy eel. He tried not to think of that imagery, but it couldn't escape him each time he did it.

Neither of them said much when they started paying each other this particular attention; just lost in each other. Common sense went out the window, and physical appreciation became the focus. Law had learned that if he gave Sanji more chances to breathe, they could play longer; so when Sanji's fingers pulled and massaged at his dick, Law lifted him to the surface, allowing him comfortable gulps of air without slowing his ministrations. He was basically holding the human with both tail and his hands, moving only when Sanji needed him to; supporting him while Sanji helped them both to relief. Sanji could now rely on Law to keep him alive, reminding him to breathe because his mind often shifted to focus on pleasure before his instinct could remind him to. So he pulled his other hand from around Law's shoulder to focus both hands around the slick, veiny organ that was shaped like his, but much larger in girth and weight. Once he had enough air, they were back under the water and hidden from the world above the surface. He rested his weight atop of the fishman's waist, legs curling around where Law's hips should be. The fluctuation of temperature and water movement lulled their earlier combustions, giving them more time to explore and invite.

While Sanji stroked him with a confident grip, both hands moving up and down in alternating motion, Law settled his own hands at Sanji's hips, fingers pulling lightly at his trousers. He understood that the layering of clothes – so much less than when Sanji first jumped into the sea one fiery night – was the human's concern for maintaining a level of vanity and protection. His absurd strength was capable of ripping and tearing beyond repair, so his touch was delicate and considerate when finding the human's flesh. But his mind was fuzzy with content pleasure at the feel of Sanji's hands on him, and he impatiently tugged at what was in the way.

"Remove these so I can touch you," Law demanded thickly, straining to resist pulling at the flimsy material.

Hazily, Sanji registered the order, but he didn't stop his ministrations. At that moment, he felt so powerful to have a strong creature at his mercy. He shivered because Law's voice caused his own skin to tingle with building want. With some effort, he managed to release the organ that seemed to jerk and twitch at the touch of his palm, and his fingers, cold and clumsy, picked at his suspenders and trousers. He obeyed hastily, kicking and shuffling, and Law was careful to hang the material onto some underwater rocks that created a sharp cliff downward from the cropping that Sanji usually sat upon. He used some care to make sure they wouldn't be carried away by the pushing current that moved gently past the island, so Sanji could retrieve them later.

Now that the human's flesh was open to him, Law pulled and adjusted Sanji to him so that both their lengths of their bodies could fit together. The bristle of Sanji's pubic hair against his scales, his smaller hands touching his dick produced another shiver caused by the varying textures. Sanji opened and closed his thighs tightly around Law's dick, pushing his own aching hard-on against the ridges that changed texture from fish to man. Both of them rubbed and ground against each other, pushing for sensation and relief, comfortable with adjustments and movement.

Law cupped flexing ass cheeks with one hand, the other holding tightly on his hip. Maneuvering up towards the surface so Sanji could breathe again, but not interrupting their movements. Water churned and sloshed around them before dipping them both back underwater. Sanji clung to his hips with hard gripping hands, where their connection was strongest. He could feel Law's dick sliding between his clenched thighs, caressing and nudging between his cheeks, dragging against his balls – which were pulled tight because of the cold water. Everything felt so cold and tight, and yet the dragging sensations against his body, the wild excitement of doing something forbidden and so full of sin – amplified every movement and feeling. Holding his breath, hearing the own race of his heart drum against his chest as his blood sizzled – the thought of doing this as humans, being able to touch, kiss and doing more; it made his very lungs clench with anticipation. He could do those things. He could possibly do all those things with a man.

He looked forward to those things. He hoped Law made that choice.

: :

Both of them found their relief, rested, and when Sanji pulled and tugged his trousers back on – every movement weak and clumsy – Law rested on his back and cleaned himself off with absent wiping gestures while the human used his midsection to sit on. After buttoning the last of his shirt, Sanji shivered violently. He was thankful for the presence of blankets that he knew was waiting for him on the island.

He looked up at the sky above, stars sparkling brightly against the dark canvas. Sitting on Law's midsection, the fishman a heavy, moving log underneath him, Sanji steadied himself with careful hand placement. His feet were freezing. He was momentarily dumbfounded how he could lose his common sense when it came to moments like these. If he wasn't being denied air, he was allowing himself to lose to some type of hypothermia.

His fingers fisted lightly as Law exhaled with a pleased expression.

"What were we talking about?" Sanji then asked him, noting that they were far enough from shore to speak at normal volume.

Law shrugged, careful to keep his gills beneath the surface, but his skin slowly dried due to the exposure.

Sanji shook his head with amusement. "Vaguely, I remember us discussing your options."

Law dumped him as he pulled himself back underwater, Sanji hurriedly kicking upward to remain exposed above the water, breathing comfortably. A cramp tugged at his left leg, and he cursed and wiggled about, trying to attend to that limb. Law watched this effort from underwater, then reluctantly dragged him closer to shore so that Sanji could at least touch down with his free leg.

"More than likely," Sanji huffed, straining to massage the cramp that left an uncomfortable soreness behind, "we won't be stuck here that long. The longer you avoid the choice…"

"I made my choice," Law assured him, poking his head out from the surface as Sanji made his way closer to the cropping of rocks, finding one suitable to sit on, "but it's not up to you to further convince me of it. It's my choice."

"I swear, sometimes speaking to you is like speaking to a child."

"…'tch."

Sanji looked back at the fishman that wore an unconcerned and pleased expression. Too tired to argue, too tired to speak seriously. It amused Sanji at that moment, the fishman using only minute movements to keep himself afloat where both of them could speak and breathe in their preferred elements. The island was too quiet.

It suddenly occurred to Sanji at that moment that it was _too quiet._ His entire frame froze, ears straining to pick out Zoro's snores, the crackle of the fire…Luffy…

He stood up suddenly, remembering that the younger man was in need of a mallet for some unidentifiable action that made him reluctant to explain to Sanji just what he needed it for.

" _Pst_. Sanji. Did you tell him you're a prince, yet?" Luffy whispered from above their heads, where he was watching them converse. Sanji whipped about, rising to stand while Law looked up with surprise as well, pushing back into the water with a splash of his tail. Luffy gasped noisily, jumping to his feet and giving a dramatic gasp that nearly caused him to faint. "Oh my Lord, Sanji! _Sanji_! Did you see that? Sanji, he's _half fish_! That guy! Is he a monster? Is he – oh, gosh, he's a mermaid! WAIT – is that allowed? I thought only women can be mermaids!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"You don't have to yell at me," Luffy said impatiently, wilting with a pout. "I was gonna ask you something, but you were gone, so I came over here to see if you were alive, and I couldn't find you, but when I was going to throw myself into the water to see if you'd _drowned_ , I heard you talking, and then _that_ guy was talking but in a weird voice so all I heard was you saying your end of things and some animal guy saying his weird thing – and I think you're lying to him because I don't think he knows you're, like, royalty."

Sanji reddened from the neck up, slapping his forehead with his palm. "LUFFY."

"I mean, so what if you talk to animals, but that's none of my business." Luffy crossed his arms firmly over his chest, giving Sanji a stern frown. "So, Zoro was right when he said you kept looking to the sea. You made a friend. That's how you survived."

Sanji shoved his hands into his pockets. He looked up at the boy stubbornly, aching for a cigarette. He exhaled, looking off into the distance. He felt scared and horrified at the thought of being caught making it with a damned fish. His skin flamed with accusing color, but he was resolved to keep himself in control. To lie.

"I'm sorry, Luffy. But what you've seen was something of your imagination. You merely walked upon a dumb man trying to communicate with God, and only witnessed a sliver of my madness caused by the shipwreck."

"Sanji. I'm dumb? But not _that_ dumb."

"What can I say, Luffy? I might be demonically possessed to utter two different languages while speaking to God in a private place."

"Sanji."

"It's true, it was the only way I would survive out here, thinking that I would die, so I used my imagination to create a friend out of sea creatures."

"Sanji, he's glaring at me, so I basically know that you're just trying to lie to me."

Sanji looked over to his right, seeing Law glaring up at Luffy – looking as intimidating as he had when facing off with Kidd underwater. He splashed towards Law, shoving him back underneath the water, then splashing about on the surface to make Law move away. He looked back up at Luffy. "No, sir. What you saw was another figment of your imagination. That was clearly…a fish."

Luffy gave Sanji a look of impatience. "My friend. You clearly weren't allowed to be a kid with a big enough imagination to use it that well. I saw what I saw. It's not me being the dumb one, it's you."

" _I'm not dumb_!"

"Fishman!" Luffy called out, hopping into the water with a loud splash. He instantly shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. "Oh! It's so cold! _Ah_! I'm dying! I can't swim! Sanji! _I'm drowning_!"

"Quiet down, you moron, don't wake him up - !" Sanji snarled, frazzled as he caught the kid from going under, his splashing about carrying out over the island.

"Why can't I be awake to investigate the ruckus?" Zoro asked from the beach, canister in hand. "What are you guys doing, swimming? Luffy. You can't swim."

"Zoro! Sanji has a fish friend! A man! Half and half! That's who he's trying to hide!" Luffy shouted, Sanji covering his mouth with both hands.

Luffy bit him as Sanji said hastily, "All lies! I'm hiding nothing!"

Watching them struggle, Zoro drank a little of his ale and gave a quiet belch into a closed fist. "Both of you are right morons…get outta the water, it's cold. You'll catch your death – _WHAT IS THAT_?"

Sanji whipped around to see Law looking to Zoro with a puzzled expression – Zoro's green hair was alit from behind by the fireplace that spilled over the beach, so the effect was a little outrageous. But judging by the squint of a man that couldn't see very well, Law wasn't sure exactly what he was looking at. He looked back to Sanji and Luffy with a confused gesture, indicating his own hair.

When he spoke, his words were clear to Sanji. But to Luffy and Zoro, they were a spillage of guttural clicks and grunts, noises that often matched a sea creature who'd popped up to the surface for a breath.

"No, he's not one of you," Sanji explained breathlessly, releasing Luffy with a shove.

"That thing is _talking_ to you?" Zoro cried, gesturing at Law with his ale. "How do you understand that?"

"I'm drowning again!" Luffy cried, splashing about before he could touch sand. "Oh, wait, never mind. ZORO! Come in here and talk with us!"

" _No_ , you fool! Brow Head, _what is that thing_?"

"Don't call me that!" Sanji snapped at him.

" _For the love of_ – will someone tell me what's happening out there? Are you guys being mauled, are you _dying_?"

"I am for sure!" Luffy cried, splashing his way towards shore in a clumsy dog pedal. "I can touch, but I can't swim! _Zoro_!"

"STOP SCREAMING AT ME - !" Zoro cut himself off, hands to his face with mystification, watching as the fishman sank out of sight, Sanji watching them with a guilty expression. "Get out of there! Get out of there right now."

"You're the one doing all the screaming. You're going to hurt a hip if you keep that up," Sanji muttered, reluctantly moving towards the shore. He felt fingers on his ankle, pausing him in mid-step. Since the hold wasn't quite friendly, he sighed noisily. "Just give me a few minutes, please."

"Oh, it's so cold!" Luffy exclaimed, teeth chattering noisily as he hugged himself. Dripping wet, he managed to sloth onto the beach, shivering tightly. He turned and screeched, "Sanji! Don't let it eat you! Let it demand a ransom, and we can pay it!"

" _Moron_!"

"Hey fish guy!" Luffy shouted. "Don't eat him! He's the only one that can cook for us!"

"Get out of the water right now," Zoro instructed to Sanji, gesturing from him to the shore. "Get out of that water!"

"He won't hurt me," Sanji said with an exasperated tone. "Okay, look – yes. This is…this is my friend. Yes, it's because of him that I am not dead. Okay? Enough with the shouting…"

Both men looked at him with surprised expressions, unmoving for a few seconds. Zoro's face twitched. "That's…that's a guy, right?"

"…Yes."

After a few moments' consideration, Zoro then shrugged. "Oh. Okay, well…that's that."

Luffy gave him a skeptical look, shivering mightily before looking back at Sanji. He puffed up, hands on his hips. "Tell him 'Don't be shy'. Come out and meet your friends properly!"

"There's a language issue."

"What's the issue?" Zoro asked impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, yeah, he talks like an animal, so…I don't know how that'd work, Zoro. Don't be so unreasonable," Luffy scolded him, Zoro giving him an exasperated look. "Sanji! Go ahead and meet with your friend! Don't be late for dinner, though! I found and brought something back, so you can cook it later, okay?"

"What was it?" Zoro asked him with alarm as Luffy hurried off, Sanji looking after his younger friend with bewilderment.

"The _mallet_!" he then gasped, tugging his ankle out of Law's grasp and making his way towards the shore. "Luffy! Luffy, what did you find - ?"

"Is it that alarming?" Zoro asked with surprise, watching as Luffy took off in a run, Sanji chasing after him with shouts. Zoro ended up running after them with rising alarm.

Law poked his head out from the water, wondering what the commotion was. Due to the jumble of noises, his bad vision, he saw the three heading around the shoreline towards the other end of the island. With his curiosity mounting, he ducked underneath the surface to follow.

: :

The three men stared down at the half octopus, half woman that was sprawled out on the shore. Sanji had his hands over his face with horror, Zoro gaping, Luffy wiping his forehead.

"It was a struggle," he confessed, looking satisfied. "But I caught it. I brought it in with practically my bare hands. It was just staring at me, and I couldn't resist the challenge."

After gaping at the obvious human arms, the sight of a human torso, Zoro covered his mouth with one hand while the other fisted at his side.

"I don't think I can eat it? But…if we have to, I'm sure there's enough for all of us."

"LUFFY. _HOW_?" Sanji snarled at him incredulously, gesturing repeatedly at Ivankov.

"It was trying to talk to me. Probably giving me permission to catch it," Luffy said, looking up at him with bewilderment. "Talking like your friend – "

He released an expression of horror, wrist over his mouth. "Oh my god, did I just kill your friend's friend?"

Slapping his forehead once more, Sanji stared up at the moon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Shadow: 7**

* * *

After a sharp glance at the water, Sanji crouched and yanked Ivankov into his arms with a hard grunt. The half creature, half… _whatever_ was so heavy that his legs nearly buckled under the weight. But he was driven by desperation to hide the evidence, heaving Ivankov towards Zoro. Zoro had no choice but to grab and hold, his face and thick neck filling with red, embarrassed heat as his hands came into involuntary grasp of the creature's chest. Luffy watched them with bewilderment as Sanji hastily picked up Ivankov's tentacles and shoved both Zoro and the creature backwards. As small as the island was, their boat was only feet away.

Zoro gasped and struggled to set himself firmly, holding on after a quick hand adjustment, sputtering words that didn't quite make any sense.

"Hide it over there! Hide it, don't come out - !" Sanji cried before lowering his voice, shoving and pushing Zoro until they were against the boat. Once there, he shoved hard enough for Zoro and Ivankov to go flying out of their sight. Zoro's cry of surprise and outrage rang out as wood cracked and splintered under some unseen impact.

"What's going on, Sanji?" Luffy asked curiously, tilting his head. "Why all the secrecy?"

"If _he_ ," Sanji gestured at the water, looking with panic for any sign of Law, "sees that you killed Ivankov, he's going to get the wrong idea!"

"I'm pretty sure I didn't kill it," Luffy reassured him with a scoffing sound. "I just banged it on the head a few times then dragged it up here. You boil things like this alive, right?"

"EVEN _WORSE_!" Sanji cried, then stilled once he saw Law emerge from the shallows, looking over with a suspicious expression. Sanji wrapped Luffy's face up with one arm, Luffy reacting with alarm.

"Don't say _anything_ about what you did," he whispered with warning, shaking Luffy a couple of times to make his point.

"I said I was _sorry_ \- ! But a man has to feed his family - !"

"Who said you were a _man_?"

Law watched them, his face showing immense confusion as he heard muffled snarling. Sanji counted on the merman's bad vision to ignore the drag marks from the water to the shore – which stood out with accusation. Law's eyes then narrowed, unsure why Sanji and Luffy were standing in such a peculiar manner – his eye sight was horrid above the water, but it seemed like they were just _staring_ at him. The smell of an animal's distress hormones were present in the water, as well as thick, overwhelmingly heavy octopus ink – he wondered if Shachi or Penguin were hunting one of the creatures. He sunk back under, blinking to adjust his vision to the dark before pushing towards the deep to go investigate.

Sanji whirled Luffy around to face him, bending ever so slightly. "Listen to me very carefully," he instructed, Luffy looking at him with wide-eyed curiosity, "those things don't trust us. They are taught that humans kill them, so they're supposed to kill us, first, because of this."

"Why would those jerks do that?"

Sanji counted to ten as Luffy looked at him with an indignant face. It took him a few moments to get it.

"OOOHH…Oh, _I_ did that, ha ha," Luffy then chattered nervously, hand to his head. "But I'm sure I didn't _kill_ kill it! I was just exaggerating!"

"Add to that…" Sanji tried off helplessly, unsure of how to say anything at all. Before he could, a commotion from the boat caused the pair of them to straighten up. It sounded like Zoro was screaming. Ivankov herself strode out, causing Sanji a strangled choke and hands to cover his eyes, Luffy's eyes widening to the size of dinner plates as they first locked onto Ivankov's womanly features, then to the obviously swinging junk down below. He uttered an incredulous sound, face twisting into different expressions.

"You _monster_!" Ivankov snarled at Luffy murderously, her eyes blazing with fury. Her face was smeared with dirt and ink, but her blood was the color of oil, dribbling down her temple and cheek. "You almost killed me!"

"I'm so confused," Luffy said lightly, eyes moving up then down again. "What are you, sir?"

" _Ma'am_! I am a _ma'am_!"

"Not with those you are." Luffy then pulled off his shirt with uncertainty, handing it over to her with a concerned expression. "I don't know what's happening, but, here. You can wear this. You should cover up, okay? A lady should be modest."

Ivankov glared at him, but looked at the shirt he held out. Sanji peeked between his fingers, examining the situation without looking at the being standing there in front of them. She was a tall woman – towering over all of them, her hair bright under the moonlight, her skin speckled with purple, black and splotches of grey. Much like Law's – but nothing about her, according to him, looked attractive. Ivankov snatched the shirt from Luffy and awkwardly pulled it on. It only covered her upper torso. Luffy beamed at her, happy he was helpful.

Ivankov stared down at him for several moments, then cried out in a syrupy trill, "Oh, aren't you _adorable_?"

With a huff, she fluffed out her hair, then gingerly touched her head. "As I was _saying_ ," she said haughtily, glaring at Luffy, "all of you shouldn't worry about your little boat. I was able to bring another in your direction."

"Oh? Where is it?" Luffy asked brightly, scanning the seas with expectancy.

"It's on its way," Ivankov assured him. "This isn't because I'm interested in helping humans. _Oop_."

She looked to Sanji, then to the sea with mystification. She lowered her voice to a whisper, speaking from a cupped hand. "Where is he?"

Once she realized he still had his hands over his eyes, she waved him away with impatience. Zoro staggered over, looking absolutely bewildered as Ivankov stood there in Luffy's shirt. His eyes dropped, bulged, and the noises that escaped him sounded choked.

"All I ask in return," Ivankov told Luffy, lowering her voice, "is that you take little Law with you to your destination."

Luffy blinked owlishly up at her, hands fisted at his sides. "Who is that, ma'am?"

"That's Sanji's little fish friend. I don't know if you met him yet."

"We'll meet properly, soon, I hope!"

"That detail's not important right now. What's important is this – the man Law wants to meet does not know that Law exists, but…he is the one they were looking for. Corazon changed his mind when he found the kid. It's up to you, and your friends," Ivankov stressed, gesturing at the others, "to make sure Mr Donquixote does not pull Law into his favor."

Luffy looked grim, giving a nod while Zoro looked at Sanji with absolute confusion, clearly looking for some type of answer.

"Maybe Law told you the reasons why merfolk do not interact with humans," Ivankov told Sanji, her facial expression stiff, "but in this case…those men knew of what certain merfolk were capable of. That's why Law's colony was wiped out from where he originally was from – that's where Corazon found him. But instead of bringing him back to his older brother as specified, Corazon took Law away from there. Law was a child back then, and I didn't understand it quite clearly back then, but after seeing what he did…"

Ivankov trailed off, forehead mottled with heavy wrinkles while Sanji felt overly confused by the tale he was being told. He ended up peeking through his fingers at her, then hastily covering back up when Ivankov shifted about.

"…Mr Donquixote's plans for Law are nefarious ones," Ivankov finished.

"Then why even take him there in the first place?" Sanji asked between gritted teeth.

"When a merfolk turns human," Ivankov said sharply, waving Sanji's words away with a flutter of her hand, "we aren't normal folk. We retain our abilities. Our Law will have his abilities, but he's…he's special, he's a special kid, he's…very unfit for…interaction. He refused company most of his life after Corazon was killed, and he cannot connect suitably to others. You'll please give that negative bit some patience. As you must've learned by now, he's a little selfish, vague, bossy."

Sanji wore a slightly confused frown. He felt a little annoyed at the feelings of suspicion and illness that started to eat at his earlier resolve, the feelings alien and a little scary.

Ivankov took a deep breath, fiddling with her hands uselessly. "That aspect…was Corazon's intention. To protect him. He knew. He mentioned very little even to me, but asked that I…attend to him if ever he could not. He was aware that his time was limited."

"This was the guy that told Law about our ships?" Sanji asked curiously. Zoro reached up to pull at his hands with impatience, Sanji straining against that effort.

"He was _murdered_ ," Ivankov stressed, hands on her hips while Luffy's face twisted with horror and disgust, staring down at her junk. "Despite his efforts…well, the word is, humans caught Rocinante and – "

"That name is familiar," Sanji spoke up, lowering a couple of his fingers to allow his eyes to peek through.

"Because it is the name of Doflamingo's brother. Are you in close contact with Doflamingo?"

"Oh? You didn't know?" Zoro asked Ivankov skeptically, blanching as she turned to him. He reached out to swat at Luffy, pushing his face aside to stop staring so horrifically. "You're addressing royalty when you speak to that guy."

"Stop it!" Sanji hissed at him, kicking his shin.

Ivankov looked at Sanji skeptically, Sanji covering his eyes with both hands once more. "Oh? You don't strike me as royalty."

"That guy," Zoro said, rubbing at his shin and referring to Doflamingo, "allowed this one to hide away on his cruises."

"Stop talking!"

"It's a fish! What is she going to do, blab about it to every passing cruise in the area?" Zoro exclaimed. "He doesn't give a damn about your business!"

"Why would Doflamingo allow that?" Ivankov asked curiously.

"Yes, brow head, why would he?" Zoro asked Sanji with mock curiosity. Sanji glared at him, opening his hands ever so slightly to pierce the fisherman with the expression.

"So," Luffy interrupted with confusion, gesturing at Ivankov, "when she speaks, she's a lady? But when is she a man?"

Sanji pushed him impatiently behind him, hands on his face to attempt to close his mouth. Luffy struggled against this effort, attempting to bite his fingers. Facing Ivankov, Sanji said, "You should stop telling us this stuff. It's not any of our business. I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate his personal backstory being revealed to us like gossip during afternoon tea. If he's fine with it, _he_ should be the one to say something."

"And," he added, ending up pushing Luffy to the side as the kid bit him, "he's made it clear that he didn't want to be human in the first place!"

Ivankov's heavy lashes lowered as she gave him a condescending look, cupping one elbow while one hand curled upward against her face so she could cup her own cheek. "Well. _Honey_. I think you've done a pretty good job of convincing that fish to be human so you could continue your affair properly- !"

Sanji shut her up with his face and neck blooming with color, hands on her mouth and face, causing her an awkward stumble. "Shut up, shut up, _shut up_!"

"Unhand me! How dare you?"

"Affair?" Zoro asked, perking up.

"Don't listen to it!" Sanji snarled at him, in his space as quick as a flash, Zoro yanking his head back to avoid the same treatment. "It's telling some lies!"

Ivankov cackled with amusement. "There are no secrets in the sea! If you're trying to keep them up here - !"

Luffy walked over to join Zoro as Sanji snarled at her, his words filled with spittle and angry hisses while Zoro yawned noisily, crossing his beefy arms over his chest. "Zoro. We have a ship coming our way. So don't worry about adding an extra person to our boat."

"Oh, splendid. How'd that happen?"

"I don't know, this nice lady said she made it happen. I believe her," Luffy added, hands on his hips, "because if someone has no shame walking around like she does, then why would she be a liar?"

"That logic is _insane_ ," Sanji hissed at him while Ivankov clapped her hands.

"I'm going to ask _you_ ," Ivankov then said to Luffy, sidling up to him with a hand curling around his shoulders, "to be the responsible one here."

Luffy brightened up. "Okay! I accept!"

"You cannot expect him to hold any sort of responsibility!" Sanji snapped, jerking her arm away from Luffy's shoulders. "He can barely stick to task!"

"Hey, I'm a responsible person!"

"Sanji," Zoro said curtly over Luffy's outraged response. "It has been decided. Why don't you go over there and look pretty while us men discuss the future?"

" _I'm not a man_ ," Ivankov snarled at him while Sanji spat more words that caused Luffy to look at him with confusion.

"Did you learn another language while you were out here?" he asked Sanji while Zoro told Ivankov, "Our lives are based on the responsibilities of our jobs. I'm sure you can trust us with the task. Now…how do we hold him? Salted water? How often does his tank need to be cleaned?"

Ivankov gave Zoro an impatient look, adjusting Luffy's shirt collar around her neck. "Silly. I'm going to turn him human. But," she added, looking at Sanji, "this is temporary. We all return to the sea eventually."

"Then bring him here to allow him to hear his own options," Sanji spat at her. "Don't discuss this with just us when it is his choice and his heart to follow!"

Ivankov sighed noisily. "He's been quite stubborn, and hasn't bothered listening to me in all this time. Even when I practically handed him the offer."

"How about I go get him?" Luffy offered, turning to the sea with an eager expression, shirt sleeve rolled up his arms. Zoro grabbed him hastily.

"What if he doesn't want to confront Doflamingo?" Sanji asked Ivankov with exasperation, over Luffy and Zoro fighting each other towards the shore. "Never in our conversations did he express any sort of revenge. In fact, if you ask me – "

"I didn't ask you," Ivankov pointed out. "And he's always wondered about Rocinante's killer. He was a child when it happened – unfortunately, that being has been inflicted with trauma most of his life. It is why he is why he is. But when faced with opposition, Law has no problem eliminating it from his path. It's why Kidd challenges him so much."

"That guy…"

"Kidd made his choice," Ivankov said slowly, "and he let it consume him. I don't think Law would make a similar mistake."

"I don't think this is such a good idea," Sanji murmured. "At first I thought it would help, but now it sounds a little selfish on your part if you continually insist that this is what he wants."

Ivankov tittered. "With _your_ help, the transformation should be easier this time around."

"I - !"

Ivankov removed Luffy's shirt, passing it to him on her way back to the water. Zoro fumbled with covering Luffy's eyes. "I will return. I will speak to him. Your ship will be in sight, soon."

Once the sea swallowed her up, the three men looked at each other with doubt. Luffy pulled his shirt back on with a loud chattering of his teeth, hugging himself. Zoro looked back at Sanji impatiently.

"You didn't tell him why that guy allowed you to hide away on his cruises."

"Why should I? It's not important."

"But it's going to come up."

"Listen to this, idiot. That _thing_ is giving away a lot of information about one person that should have a say in things. It sounds like it is pressuring Law to act when Law doesn't really want to."

"He's a fish, right?"

"It's like Ivankov is pushing revenge through Law – she's a whole _kraken_! Why doesn't _she_ do away with the guy?"

"I thought they'd be bigger," Zoro then said thoughtfully, looking to the sea while Sanji growled with impatience.

" _It_ is sending in a fishman that has no idea what being a human is like to die! Basically."

"So, if Rocinente was killed by his own brother," Zoro then murmured, fingers to his chin to think, "does that mean he was a man? Or a fish, too? Because it sounds like he was both. Are they both?"

Sanji shrugged helplessly. "I just met the guy, and…he wasn't interested in discussing these things. It's only coming to light because I happened to be on that ship."

"Then how'd she know you were on that ship?"

"I. DON'T. KNOW."

"Something's fishy here," Zoro said stubbornly.

"That's what I've been saying!"

"Can't quite put my finger on it…"

Sanji growled with impatience, coming unglued by the spread and lack of information.

: :

Fluffing out her hair and touching her head wounds with a wince, Ivankov found Law lingering near the outcropping of rocks, wearing a puzzled face. Once he saw her, he straightened vertically, his face starting to reflect alarm as his eyes locked upon her face.

"Don't worry about it, it was a misunderstanding," Ivankov said hastily, waving at him. "Law. The time is now."

"What happened - ?"

"Those humans up there will come into contact with a ship, soon," Ivankov reported gravely, pausing a couple of feet away. "Thanks to me, I'm expediting this adventure. Moving it along. And your time to walk with them is here."

Law struggled to think, giving her a puzzled frown. His eyes kept twitching to her head, where her blood had been smeared into her skin and hair, causing it to clump together. He couldn't imagine that she came into any type of danger with them, but then again, he was only familiar with one human. Thoughts of Corazon's body came to him, and the images were terrifying all over again. The smell, the heavy stillness of his body as it sunk slowly towards the sea bed. He could smell her expelled ink, her blood, and it was sending his own body into a heated, dizzy overdrive where his heart started to speed up and his gills seemed to flutter with troubled breathing.

He had to focus to concentrate, Ivankov's brow wrinkling with concern. "Law…?"

Swallowing tightly to at least function into speaking, Law answered stiffly, "I was ready to make a decision, but – "

"The information I'm going to give you I've held back for years," Ivankov then said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "So the humans are aware that Rocinante, who called himself Corazon here, was Doflamingo Donquixote's younger brother."

"I know that, but – he never spoke of – " Law trailed off sharply. "Donquixote?"

"Yes. The owner of the ship Sanji arrived on. Sanji doesn't know the connection, he now knows that Corazon was Doflamingo's brother. Listen to me carefully, Law," Ivankov then said, snapping her fingers as she saw that Law's sight was moving away from her, heavy confusion falling over him. "Long ago, Corazon and Doflamingo became human. It doesn't matter how, I wouldn't know, anyway. Corazon returned to our world upon Doflamingo's request. I suppose it was because he'd forged a world for them up there that he needed to stay behind."

"What…? But…"

"Corazon knew of your colony," Ivankov said tightly. "He knew at least one of you merfolk possessed useful abilities to assist with Doflamingo's cause. But Corazon had a change of heart. As your people were slaughtered by Doflamingo's crew…"

The murky vision of merfolk dying from illness and harpoons flashed to Law's mind, the muffled sounds of panic touching his ears before hearing his father's commanding voice.

"…he was to locate the one with the strongest abilities."

Law recalled the merman talking to him softly, approaching him from the darkness in the distance Law had taken from the colony. He had been so scared, so troubled, so lost – that to have Corazon suddenly there to help him, felt like a miracle he'd needed at that moment.

"He found you," Ivankov said gently. "He _found_ you and he took you away from his brother. Fled to this part of the world where he felt Doflamingo could not find you."

Law looked at her tersely, unable to think a single thought.

"However, he approached his brother…his death was because of his failure to produce you. That's the story, at least. Yes, humans killed Corazon, but it was his own brother, Law," Ivankov stated. "And the man you are to approach – "

"And why would I do that?" Law asked him tightly, his voice caught thick in his throat. "Why…why would I even…?"

"Because Doflamingo knows you're out here. These ships, Law? They're _all_ his ships."

Law froze, but his eyes darted here and there.

" _Insurance fraud_ ," Ivankov scoffed, hands on her hips. "Now, I am giving you a chance to settle this."

"…Why would I?"

"Because he will not stop looking for you."

"…This is a big ocean, it's…humans can't just…" Law looked at Ivankov with horror ablaze in his features.

Ivankov waved her hands about, saying hastily, "He, that human, _Sanji_ – he had nothing to do with Doflamingo, Law! I know this for certain. The way his friends treat him, the conversations I've heard – though, there might be a surprise in that as well – "

"He's the only human I've seen that could swim."

"It was meant to be this way. For whatever reasons – on yours, on his – both of you were meant to find each other. That's the only tooth on the cog that's broken." Ivankov studied Law's frozen expression. She was pretty sure the fishman was holding his breath – she could hear his heart racing like thunder inside his chest. The faint vibrations in the water that Ivankov could feel were Law's own anxiety, activating in response to feeling threatened.

Hand on her own beating heart, Ivankov said, "After you find your answers, you can settle that one however you want to settle it. But the point is…Corazon's killer is still out there. Looking for you. Don't you want to get rid of it?"

Law glanced at her before turning his stunned gaze to the dark depths of the sea floor beneath them. His heart was thundering so noisily – his muscles tense. Every part of him was. His thoughts were swirling, refusing to settle. Anxiety, horror – _betrayal_? – burned together like lava coursing through his body.

But he thought of how Corazon took over when he had no one. He thought of their conversations, his teachings, his guidance; how many adventures they had, sweeping through the oceans, meandering to find somewhere safe to settle. Never did Corazon indicate that he was running from something. All Law knew was that his brother's name was Doflamingo, and Corazon's tone when actually saying anything boded no other questions of him. At that time, Law was immersed in his own little world of complaints and anger; never had the interest to pursue answers that, as an adult, he thought of now.

"When you walk upon two legs," Ivankov said low to him, touching his shoulder, "and use your abilities, you shorten your stay. The more you use them, the less time you have. When you've used them up, you will return to this form. Understood?"

She then gestured at the markings on her body, just below her breasts. "Your theoretical hourglass will be stamped upon your body, and the more you use your time, the more they will fade. You won't miss them, they're very obvious. Humans call them 'tattoos', but ours are temporary."

Law stared at her, face tight with apprehension. He looked at his hands with doubt. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

Both of them heard far off movement from the south -the sound of a ship cutting through the surface. Before Law could do anything, Ivankov thrust the piece of coral into his grasp, then began shoving him up towards the island.

"I don't want this - !" Law snapped at her with irritation, then choked. His gills seemed to slack and close without his own action. For a moment he hung there, Ivankov watching him with interest. Law's entire body seized, and he dropped the piece anyway, his hands fluttering to press against his chest with unease. He looked to Ivankov, who hastily retrieved it. She forced open his palm and closed his fingers around it.

"Hold it with you at all costs," she advised him as all his muscles seemed to jerk and twitch with a racking shiver before forcing a massive shake that caused his entire body to seize once more.

He didn't even time to think as she grabbed his arm with a viselike grip and fluttered towards the surface. His fingers involuntarily grasped the piece of coral as his lower half began to jerk and twitch, all of his skin caught in a horrid itch. Every part of his skin and his scales felt like biting insects were crawling and covering every inch of him. Weird, pulling movement across his tail caused his terrified eyes to drop down there, watching as the familiar sight of his scale began to slacken and pull outward before reforming into frighteningly twin, lengthy mounds. The fins themselves dried and slowly wilted away, crumbling like dust in the wind. The entire sight was utterly horrifying, his mind abuzz with panic and inward screaming.

Once at the shore, Ivankov heaved words that went muffled and shifted, turning into odd noises that Law had never heard before. But the three men were hurrying towards them, and Law could hear all their combined words – accents, slang, voices – individually as his ears rang out with piercing sounds that didn't make sense.

"ZORO! ZORO, he's drowneding!"

" _DROWNING_ – no – wait – bigger question - _what is that_?"

"You evil creature! Pure evil! I should boil you alive with – good god, man, _breathe_!"

" _Ahh_! A drowning victim!"

"He's not drowning, he's holding his breath!"

Zoro slapped Law's back, and Law felt that all the way down to his tail – no, _no_ tail. But he gasped noisily, heaving over with coughs as water sputtered to his lips. His lungs seemed to heave, clasp and tighten, his entire upper body racked with terrible, foreign movement. His throat clenched, neck tense and chest heaving as he finally registered that his body was gulping at air. _Air_. Every part of him was tingling with heat and itchy violence, and he was unable to pinpoint what was new and what wasn't.

Ivankov watched with interest, chin propped up on palms as her tentacles lightly slapped and batted at the moving water.

"Give me a damn blanket!"

"Damn, that guy is _at least_ twelve feet tall…"

Ivankov was speaking, but her words escaped Law's comprehension – they were a collection of noises; clicks, vibrations, high pitched shrilling sounds that had no formulation of words. He stared at her in disbelief, everything so noisy and yet so dim all around him. But it was his feet that caught his attention – his weird, ugly feet with individual toes that wiggled without his command. Law stared, breath unconsciously held as he noticed his lack of tail, fin, scales – the temperature, which was cold, chilling his skin – _his skin_! His legs were lengthy, but they were so thin and skinny, and the tendons, shivering skin, veins and muscle seemed to ripple as he wiggled his ankles.

"They're so ugly," he whispered, inhaling sharply and realizing that he'd spoken these words with a mouth that felt foreign. His voice was so unnatural that he paused, the two men staring at him with surprise.

"Ugly," he repeated, thought to voice, and it took him several moments to realize that he'd said anything at all. " _Ugly_."

"Yeah, you are," Zoro agreed with a nod of his head. Sanji shoved him aside, Luffy coming back with a blanket held sloppily in both hands. He promptly tripped and slammed into Law from behind, knocking them both into the sand with a gust of words and breath. Sanji hastily pulled Luffy away from Law, then hurriedly covered the man with a blanket.

Law snarled, looking at Luffy with fury while Luffy laughed clumsily from the sand. "Ha ha! Sorry, sorry!"

Law turned to Ivankov furiously. " _What did you do to me_?"

He opened his hand to look at the piece of coral that had made indentures in his palm. The sounds leaving Ivankov didn't make any sense, and Luffy stared at her with horror. But the octo-woman pushed back into the sea, wearing what looked like a cheerful expression. She waved at them before sinking beneath the waves. Unconsciously, Law curled his fingers around the piece of coral, teeth chattering.

Zoro and Sanji helped him to his feet. Since he didn't know how to steady himself, Law awkwardly jolted forward, then back, both of them pressured by his size to hold him in place. He shoved them both away, and fell to his knees with a huff. Fingers digging into the sand, Law allowed himself to be furious. His skin felt warm with just his anger alone.

"Ooh, that's not a happy face," Luffy observed, lying on his side with his head propped up with a hand. "He looks so angry right now."

"Maybe once you start walking, you'll be happier about it," Zoro conceded, elbow on knee. "I'm sure babies were mad about it, too, when they started walking."

"You both aren't helping!" Sanji snapped at them both, adjusting the blanket around Law carefully. "Here. Sit down."

"Don't touch me!" Law snarled at him, shoving him away. Once he registered the temperature once more, he shivered. The blanket felt odd against his leg skin – _legs_. _He had legs_. He stared down at them with amazement and horror, watching them twitch against the sand. From what he'd observed of Sanji's legs – with all their defined muscle, hair and fair skin – his were slender, knees knobby, ankles jutting and dangerous at the joint. Almost liked a skeleton with mummified flesh. But the longer he sat there, the flesh began to ease in with color similar to his arms and hands, swelling ever so slightly until they weren't so mummified anymore. As his eyes moved over bony shins, bony knees and slender thighs, he caught his first sight of his junk. He was so horrified by the transformation of _that_ part that he gaped at it with a shocked gasp.

Zoro made a face, then looked to Sanji with pointed indication. Sanji gave him an exasperated look, nudging Law's knees closed with a touch of his own foot.

Luffy laughed, turning to face the night sky with his hands folded behind his head. "Aw, man, just let him look at himself. He'll figure it out. He's probably all embarrassed with all of you just gawking at him."

"I didn't want to be human!" Law snapped at them, once again surprised by his own voice. He cleared his throat. It felt scratchy from all the coughing he'd done. He started to scratch at his own neck when he realized he was still clutching the coral. He made to throw it back into the sea, arm back and extended, throwing forward with a growl – Zoro caught it in mid-air, holding it with an uncertain look to his expression. He rose to his feet as Law seethed, all his upper torso muscles twitching and shivering in reaction to the cold.

He had yet to see the vivid tattoos that had colored his skin, which was slowly flittering down to one, single color. His flesh seemed to shimmer like the scales that had disappeared from his lower body, mottling slowly to a dark tan hue. Sanji watched with horrified fascination as all the colors he seemed to have memorized disappeared to reveal tattooed hearts and other designs that weren't present before. But he glanced towards Ivankov with confusion.

"This might be important," Zoro told Sanji, giving it to him to hold. "I don't know how witchcraft works."

"She said it was the key to all this," Sanji murmured, looking at it with doubt. He nudged Law's thigh with a foot. "Said you had to keep it on you at all times."

Law gave him a look, jaw so tight that it ached. His teeth ground together before saying, "You understand that bitch?"

Luffy laughed. "So _mean_! How do you know human words so fast?"

"Well, yeah," Sanji said skeptically. "She said to hold onto it, keep it close, and to…"

He paused, wearing a cringe. He waved that part away. "Never mind the rest."

"Something about _not_ stuffing it where she did," Zoro finished, Law remembering where she'd pulled it out from the first time. It made his left eye twitch ever so slightly. "I kinda have an idea of what she meant, so I'd rather not expand on that."

Sanji tucked the blanket around Law before grasping his arms, pulling. "C'mon. On your feet. Let's get some movement going."

"I don't want to!" Law hissed at him, yanking his arm back and unintentionally sending Sanji flying over his head, slamming into Zoro and knocking them both into the surf. Luffy sat up with an awestruck gasp as Law's eyes widened again, looking at his hand and arm with doubt. He lingered on his fingers before looking back at the pair that were snarling at each other as they left the water.

With some effort, he pushed himself to his feet. His legs were so weak and wobbly, knees knocking before he managed to straighten his thighs. From hips down, everything felt so weak and fragile. He stood there to give himself some time to adjust, dropping the blanket. Luffy covered his face, wincing as he sat back.

"Oh, Lordy," he exclaimed, "put those away!"

"I'm sorry," Law apologized as Sanji hastily pulled the blanket around him, Zoro removing his own shirt to wring out. "I wasn't aware of my strength."

"You threw a _boat_ ," Sanji said as reminder. "Humans can't do that, so be conscious about what you are doing."

"I _didn't_ throw the boat," Law said, taking the material and taking a tentative step towards the side. Once his foot aligned with the movement, once his weight settled, he took another step. The blanket fell again as he held his hands out to the sides ever so slightly to keep his balance, Sanji hastily picking it up and chasing after him to keep him covered.

Once he felt a little confident in his brief progress, Law nodded, grasping the blanket with both hands without any real motivation. Facing the sea, he felt his eyes narrow, thinking about the information Ivankov had told him.

Luffy yawned noisily, rolling onto his stomach. "When is the boat coming? I'm starving half to death since our second dinner decided to change our minds."

Zoro exhaled uneasily. "If he can't walk on steady land, being on a boat's gonna give him a hard time. It's time to teach him to run."

"You're a maniac, Zoro."

"We can't say anything about him," Sanji said, looking at them while trying to keep the blanket around Law's hips. The fishman slapped at his hands with a snarl, Sanji giving up with a wave of his hands. So he stood directly behind him, hearing the blanket fall to the sand with a soft 'flomph!' "We can't just go talking about how we befriended a merman from the sea. That would invite negative attention to him, and the area, endangering the others around here."

"There's more?" Luffy asked curiously.

"That'll be easy," Zoro said lightly. "Just like not mentioning that you're a prince."

" _Former_ prince," Sanji stated, wagging a finger in his direction. "According to you, I was declared dead."

"Oh, so, we're just gonna go on that, Sanji?" Luffy asked him curiously. "Like pretend you aren't royalty ever again?"

"Like you've both ever treated me as such in the first place!"

"So, I was _supposed_ to be curtseying to you, like Nami said? Oh, gee, is it still too late to do that?"

"Luffy, you drive me insane, sometimes," Sanji muttered, fingers at his temple while Luffy hastily rose to his feet, brushing sand from his clothes while Zoro looked on with amusement. When he realized Luffy intended on curtseying, Sanji kicked him with a snarl, the kid flying away with a gobbled sound. Law turned at the sound of action, watching with confusion as Sanji tore after Luffy, both of them rolling about in the sand in a flurry of noises, punches and kicks. He turned to do something, watching with mystified horror when Zoro held up a hand in his direction, wearing a cringe as he used his other hand to visually block out Law's lower half.

"Don't worry about it, we're just teasing," he said calmly. "But we still wind up slugging it out sometimes. Why don't you grasp your blanket and, uh, wear it?"

"Fights are only for survival or territory claims," Law said slowly. "Not…not…teasing?"

"Fun?"

Law realized then why Sanji kept lecturing him on decorum and speaking casually of privacy rules. He had absolutely no idea what was acceptable amongst humans compared to his own life's rulebook. He could misinterpret anything and everything in comparison to his own learned standing, and make a fool of himself doing it. He crossed his arms stiffly, Zoro waving at him impatiently to get the blanket.

"Are there women about?" Law asked him rigidly. Zoro gave him a look of cluelessness, then shook his head. "Then why should I care about covering my body? Unlike you humans, I am not concerned about decorum, nor do I care about what cause and effect I have on women."

Zoro cleared his throat uneasily. "So, uh, you cover up only in front of women?"

" _Mr_ Blackleg," Law then stressed, heavy sarcasm in his tone as Sanji looked up at the sound of his name, "informed me that men dress the way they do as to not appear threatening to women. Isn't this the case?"

"…Ah. Well…humans…we cover up so as to not intimidate men as well." Zoro flexed a beefy arm. "Just the sight of this causes regular men intimidation and threat, and I only cover up because I'm tired of beating everyone up – "

Sanji shoved Zoro away so hard so that the fisherman lost his balance. "Ignore any advice he gives you," he snapped at Law, brushing sand from his battered clothes. "Only _I_ have helpful advice that will allow you to blend in – gods, man, please, wear something. That – you have to be cold..."

"Oh? Is that why I am shrinking - ?" Law then snarled as Sanji covered him in a blanket, twisting the corners into a knot around his chest. He shoved the human away, taking a few steps forward. His feet seemed to cooperate better with his intentions, but his legs felt so unsteady, so awkward. "I will not know what is right and what is wrong amongst you shitty scum suckers, so if there is anything helpful I should know before I do it, let me know in advance."

"We can't predict the weather!" Luffy scoffed, rubbing sand out of his hair as he approached Law. The fishman looked menacing, he had to admit, glaring down at him from a rather uncommonly tall height. Luffy shielded his eyes from above and gave a low whistle. "You're gonna make my neck hurt, I can already tell…"

"Nice guy," Zoro commented to Sanji lightly. "Where'd you find him?"

" _Obviously_ , in the sea!" Sanji snapped back at him, brushing sand from his clothes once more. He glared at Law. "Control your damn strength, you shitty fish! You keep knocking me around the way you do, and you will regret it!"

"Probably should watch his language," Zoro murmured in concern, forehead wrinkled.

"Language is fine – look, you moody fish," Sanji then snarled, looking to Law, "do not speak to women in the same way you speak to us. Do not speak that way towards those of authority, and do not speak to me like that, or I will - !"

" _I_ have valuable teachings!" Luffy said, shoving Sanji out of the way and then pointing back at his chest. "You can learn everything important from me."

"NO!" Zoro and Sanji both cried, yanking him out of Law's line of vision.

"Look," Zoro advised calmly, Law looking to him, "if you feel you're not going to say anything nice, or if you feel that you're confused, then it's easiest not to say anything at all. Just…stand there and look stoic. Follow my example – I usually allow these guys to say something first before giving an opinion because men are most likely going to listen to me before they listen to women or children first."

Sanji snarled, shoving him away. He clapped on hand atop of the other, knuckles against palm. "Just keep whatever you're thinking to yourself and pass yourself off as a mute. Then, address it to us in private."

"Privacy is big with you, isn't it?" Law asked, eyes narrowing. "What did Ivankov mean about your title?"

"… _Ah_ …wait, how did it know about that…?"

"Told you," Zoro murmured, shaking his head. "Told you."

"SHUT UP!" With a huff, Sanji placed his hands on his hips, Luffy watching with a mopey frown. "Okay, look, it's no secret between the lot of us here, but I…I…am a prince."

Luffy curtseyed from behind him, miming the action of holding his skirt out to his sides. Zoro noticed and tried not to laugh at the clumsy action, but quickly slapped a hand over his mouth before retaining a stoic face.

Law frowned down at Sanji. "What does that even mean, idiot? There are no such titles where I am from."

The three of them blanched before Sanji cleared his throat. "It means, my father is a king. I come from a…kingdom…and, uh…"

"So, when you mentioned that you look down on men, this is what you really meant."

"…I'm associated with…Doflamingo. Our families…well, we trade and…collide a lot. Um…territory disputes and…the reason why I was hiding away on the ship upon Doflamingo's permission is because…I was trying to run away. So…with my supposed death, erm…I'm pretty sure…"

"His family didn't care what he did," Zoro interrupted, causing Sanji to balk. "The chatter on the pier back home was the talk of scandal amongst us peasants – _his_ family held a memorial service without even challenging Doflamingo for the apparent misdeed, so perhaps Doflamingo knew exactly what he was doing upon their request."

"You don't mince any words for the consideration of my feelings, do you?" Sanji asked him, hands on his hips.

"So, all in all, if we do go back, there's going to be an outcry of his revival."

Law looked to Sanji with menace. "So, you personally know Doflamingo. You casually left his name out of the conversation we'd had previously about your ship's owner."

"I'm not lying when I say I don't know him personally," Sanji said carefully. "I only withheld that information because it had nothing to do with either of us at the time, and…I've hidden my identity as royalty for a very long time when stowing away that I…felt it unimportant to mention to you. But, yes, we've exchanged conversation, but not on a personal standpoint. He knew who I was, I knew who he was, but anything else…"

Law glared at him, causing Sanji to flush, Zoro watching with interest.

"I'm going to do my best to stay out of the light because I like it better there," Sanji said hurriedly. "Become one of them."

Luffy guffawed. "With those sissy hands?"

Sanji choked him while Zoro waved them off, Law wearing an expression of confusion. After a few moments, Law said with decision, "None of this has anything to do with me, and fuck if I even give any tiny shits about it."

"We're going to get along great," Zoro decided, looking at him brightly. "That's my motto."

With a sigh, Sanji turned away from Luffy to Law. "Look, fish – "

"I have a name," Law snarled low at him.

"Law."

"MR to you."

Sanji wore a stumped expression, suddenly quite aware of the hostility in the fishman's tone. He then shrugged. " _Ok_. Well."

"I'm Luffy, this is Zoro!" Luffy then said, introducing himself and Zoro with his hands.

Law gave them both fearsome looks before turning away, clutching his blanket. " _I don't care_."

As he hobbled away, cursing low under his breath with the negotiation of a beach's uneven terrain, the trio looked after him. Luffy looked at Sanji.

"He is one _pissed_ fish," he whispered. "How'd you meet this guy?"

"He's not always pissed, and I take responsibility for being insensitive towards him," Sanji muttered. "But we must be understanding. Perhaps he's afraid. Not every day a merman turns into a human with an absurdly large task to take."

Zoro looked to Sanji with suspicion. "How come you're not that nice with us?"

"Yeah, Sanji, _how come_?" Luffy asked the blonde, leering up at him.

"I was going to die," Sanji stressed impatiently, walking with them back to their campfire. " _Of course_ I had a change of heart! Though, I did my best establishing my dominance, but this is the sea. Of course I had to learn to rely on something bigger than me to help me through it."

"Bigger than your God?"

Sanji sighed, unsure of how to answer that hot question.

: :

While Luffy and Zoro argued who was going to attempt fishing for second dinner, Sanji approached Law cautiously. The former fishman was sitting by the fire, shivering and cold, but his expression hadn't lessoned from the anger he was still obviously affected by. The blanket was abandoned nearby, and Sanji picked it up and shook it from sand before walking up to Law. He placed it around his shoulders, captured by the sight of the tattoos that seemed to eat up his back and arms. Law glared at him from the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry," Sanji apologized, taking a seat nearby. "If you felt I was lying to you, but at that time – "

"You thought you were going to die. In retrospect, you should've."

"I don't understand why you're so angry at me when none of this was something either of us anticipated," Sanji muttered.

"I didn't want to be human! To take on this task, confronting Corazon's killer…" Law trailed off, glaring at the flames. He was hypnotized by them, awed by the constant shift and snap of heat and light. "Who lied to me as well. Who thought that if he said nothing at all, it would be better for us both."

Sanji exhaled heavily. "Look, you're not alone with this."

"I am going to return and eat that woman for causing me this trouble. I was perfectly fine where I was!" Law then looked to the sea with immense confusion. "Have you seen Penguin or Shachi?"

"I understand you do not have the motivation to solve or resolve any mystery, but you have to take this chance," Sanji said. "Because even if you don't think it's important now, you will think it important later."

Because Law had to agree, he said nothing, but he grit his teeth. Sanji looked at him, wearing a worried expression.

 _Be still, stupid, shitty heart_! He inwardly screamed at himself, hand to his chest. He wanted to reach inside and squish it silly for skipping beats every time he looked at the newly formed human; as he had previously thought, he was being driven crazy by the pure, physical reactions he had now. It was taking all he had to repress himself, feeling a combination of anxiety and guilt every time his heart skipped a beat looking up at the tall man.

The way his thick blue-black hair hung messily around his strong face, the way his golden eyes blazed with anger, the absolute godly formation of muscles, strength and flesh – Sanji felt dizzy every time he looked at him, and he was certain it was showing on his face.

"You're going to drive the ladies crazy," he admitted with a sigh.

Law glanced at him. "Why?"

Swallowing tightly, Sanji waved that away. Then he glanced at the pair, who were pushing and shoving each other as they made their way to the rocks overlooking the water, fishing rods in hand. He then lowered his voice, saying urgently, "Say nothing about us in front of anyone."

"Us?"

"Um…these…past events in the water, the things we shared with each other…is…is…wrong in front of the eyes of others, especially when…um…we're the same sex. So. No affection, no…wrong ideas. Only in the space of privacy can we express anything at all."

Law stared at him. Sanji shifted uncomfortably, looking at his hands.

"This is that forbidden thing you were going on about before, isn't it? Or perhaps my being human doesn't fit your taste."

"… _No_ …! NO, that's not it," Sanji then said helplessly, looking at him. "In your world, it's obviously fine and dandy to carry out…affections…in front of everyone without comment, but mine – this world is much different from that. Can't you understand? We wear clothes to protect ourselves from the elements, and for modesty, and _those_ types of affections are only expressed with approval between…men and women, or.."

"Paid for. So, because the possibility of being married is out of the question, I'd have to pay you for affection."

"No, Law, please, just…"

" ' _tch_. Humans are so stupid," Law muttered bitterly, staring at the fire once more while Sanji looked at him with remorse.

"I've never been…in this situation," Sanji said hurriedly, "never…yes, men are beneath my notice because of my position and my own personal expectations but you…I've never felt the way I do for anyone before I'd met you. And when I look at you now, I just…"

"Stop looking at me."

"Law – "

"I am in no mood to hear shit, and certainly not in the mood to tolerate shit coming from anyone's mouth. I will no longer allow myself to be anyone's choice when it just fucks me over in the end!"

"You're angry, I understand, I just - !"

"Stop talking to me. Leave me."

Sanji bitterly bit the inside of his cheek, yearning for a cigarette. But Law bristled like an angry animal and every word leaving him felt like it was packed with teeth. He rose slowly from his spot and gave the man his space, wearing a reluctant expression. Luffy's and Zoro's shouts rang off the island, and he swallowed hard to hide away his miserable frown, shifting his expression to wearing one that was more acceptable amongst others. He would have to hide his affection more sternly amongst them, but to push away the feelings he had…that would be impossible. He was aware he was hurtful and felt guilty for ever putting them in this position. But he suspected there was a lot of work to be done between now and the future – a lot of lessons and things to teach.

This would just be one of them.

Law glanced after him, face drawing with hurt confusion. _Don't do this, don't do that, feel this, feel that!_ He thought angrily. Now that he was here, sitting above the only world he knew, everything felt overwhelming and heavy. The freedoms he possessed down in the depths of the sea were gone. Just watching these humans interact, it was obvious that he wasn't allowed to be himself.

But he remembered vividly the way Corazon hid him from the world, the way he kept Law from exploring his curiosities over the humans. Now that he was amongst them, he could see for himself first hand what this world was like. That was exciting. The other part – the heavier part, was learning that his life wasn't what he thought it was.

His colony had been murdered. Corazon would have done the same to him if he'd obeyed his brother's order. But he chose another direction – he chose to flee. But why did he hold back on this piece of information? Just because Law was a child and wouldn't understand? It didn't seem fair. And to know that he was the only one left out of the loop made him impossibly angry. How was he supposed to feel about his savior, now?

His throat felt tight. What had caused that ravaging illness amongst those in the colonies? What had made his sister so sick that she perished before anyone could do anything about it? How did Corazon know Law possessed certain abilities? Law himself had discovered them – according to his own memory, which, he admitted to himself, was skewed – later on in life. And learned for sure he was beneficial to humans because Ivankov had showed him so.

He looked at his hand. Sand glittered in his palm, between his fingers – which were long and spindly, weirdly detailed – and when he rubbed his fingers together, the sand had a different texture to it that he had no recalled feeling when he had webbing there.

There was sand everywhere – clinging to his knees, his feet, between his toes. In uncomfortable places on his backside, along his sides. The chilling breeze was unforgiving and caused his teeth to chatter – he pulled the blanket close to him with a reluctant frown, thinking about all those times Sanji had complained. Then he felt hurt because apparently giving affection to someone who wasn't the same gender was wrong; which made him feel wrong for feeling so free to feel new things.

So he returned to feeling angry all over again. Everything was so new and somewhat frightening, but he had to admit that there was a dash of excitement mixed in there because…humans.

Apparently, he had to learn fast of their decorum. He once again looked over his shoulder to seeing Luffy fishing, Zoro and Sanji snapping at each other. There was a certain difference to them that Law could see now that he could look; now that he understood. Sanji's clothes, as battered as they were, fit differently compared to the others' somewhat sloppy appearances. They had patches and extra threads in their clothes, and a certain roughness to them that Sanji didn't. But the three were free to shove and punch each other – in Sanji's case, kicking – and they used Sanji's title mockingly, which confused Law with the aspect of it.

When he'd mentioned hierarchy, he meant strength comparisons and territory disputes. Kidd battled anyone that thought they could scavenge in his areas (which were never clear), and if someone didn't like another's face, they'd attack – but never were any of the colonies under the dictation and rule of one person, like these three seemed to suggest up here.

Merfolk just grouped together based on needs, attended to themselves and families – Law was a loner who avoided those things, making it on his own. He rarely attacked unless attacked. He wasn't interested in one territory, he wasn't interested in one availability of a food group. He drifted, lazed about, spent his life looking upwards into the bellies of passing ships.

Why would Doflamingo look for him?

…He supposed he'd have to ask.

He shivered again, fingers clenched in the material of his blanket.

 _Stupid humans_ , he thought bitterly.

: :

The ship became visible in the distance; a craft that was built strong and able to weather the storms. It was too far away for the humans to determine their safety, but they celebrated with shouts and happy dances, Law frowning at them from the campfire. Since it was clear the ship was coming their way, Sanji hurried back to the ruined boat and began rummaging around it while Luffy and Zoro gave up on their fishing.

Sanji returned to Law with some clothes, Zoro giving Law a doubtful look. "They're clean, but they might be a little short," he assured Law with an embarrassed rub of his head.

"It's not the usual to see a giant in some parts," Sanji said, examining the clothes once again. "So you're going to stand out."

"Just slouch?" Luffy suggested, looking baffled. "I don't know why you have to be short to fit in – if I were your height, I'd be pretty intimidating. Just be who you are."

Sanji showed Law how to slide on the shirt, but Zoro's pants were not going to fit in any way. So he gave up and fashioned a toga out of the blanket, using rope to tether it together. Luffy and Zoro struggled not to laugh, Law looking at them with rising irritation.

"If there are ladies on the ship, and it's a big ship, so there's no doubt that there is," Sanji said with trouble, "just know that this is temporary. Usually, there are supplies for clothing that can be altered and adjusted for a proper fit– "

"Yeah, for your class," Zoro pointed out. "For ours, it was just finding an old lady who can knit."

Sanji turned and stared daggers at him before returning his attention to Law's toga and adjusting material around his thighs. Then he turned and snarled at Zoro, "I can do it if I have to!"

"Okay, okay, you don't have to prove it, or anything, your highness."

"STOP!"

Law swept them both out of his path as he took two rickety steps forward, Sanji momentarily fretting over how the material revealed too much of the man's tattooed back and thighs. Zoro caught his hands as he made to adjust the material more, giving him a pointed look.

"Will you stop hovering over him like an attentive mother?"

To Luffy, Law asked, "And men? What if there are men who are intimidated by me?"

"Punch them," Luffy said evenly. "I don't even know why you have to ask this."

" _Don't_ punch them," Sanji intervened.

"Some men need to be punched," Zoro offered. "If they look at you a weird way, punch them. If they say something insulting, give it a whirl."

" _DON'T_ PUNCH THEM! Especially if they are dressed in finery! You talk the problem out, first!"

"Talkin's pretty much useless," Luffy confirmed. "Men talk with their fists, not their ass."

When Law gave him a puzzled look, Luffy spanked himself. " _Ass_."

"Ass," Law repeated slowly.

"You can use it as a swear word, too. Like, HEY ASSHOLE!" Luffy shouted mightily into Sanji's face.

"Or, _you ass_ , you drank up all the ale!" Zoro said with a chuckle. "Prepare to be knocked onto your ass, dipshit."

"Ass is the butt," Luffy continued, pointing at himself again.

' _Butt'_ , Law thought with a crinkled brow. _What an odd word to describe your anal vent. It has a childish ring to it._

"But you can use the word colorfully if you'd like. It's up to you."

"There are certain situations where you shouldn't use words like these," Sanji intervened. "Definitely do not use them on or around the ladies."

"Why?" Law asked him with a challenging tone.

Zoro interrupted before Sanji could speak. "They don't like to be treated differently. Talk to women however you like, just don't be unnecessarily abusive towards them."

"Oh, yes they do want to be treated differently! They want to be pampered and treated special!" Sanji hissed at them. "Look, Law, any word you use that can be used as a curse should not be said in a ladies' presence, because it is foul and unseemly to carry such attitude around them."

"Falsehoods," Luffy commented. "They must feel so repressed being in manly company because someone's always telling them what to do."

"Don't punch them," Zoro advised as an afterthought. "Unless they're being offensive."

"DON'T PUNCH THEM AT ALL!" Sanji cried with horror.

Law sighed noisily. "I have two asses telling me what to do and one that negates it all. I think I will be fine. I don't need any more advice."

"Good use of 'ass'!" Luffy complimented him proudly. Law struggled not to look pleased about this.

"Also," Sanji interjected despite the order, "we eat our food cooked. Humans cannot eat raw food. You cannot go and pluck a live animal from the water and eat as you please. You can only catch and release to a cook that can prepare it. I can do this for you."

Luffy and Zoro looked up at Law with impressed expressions.

Law wore a disgusted face. "Like that fish you tried to feed me? Revolting."

"You're going to learn the hard way, I can feel it," Sanji murmured with some distraught, hand to his mouth. He then shook his hands about. "Okay, okay, I think it's…gentlemen, this fish is sometimes smart. Let him figure it out, and we can only guide him along the way. We can't prepare him to fit in as a human in mere hours."

Luffy elbowed Law with a wink. "We got you."

"Definitely punch anyone that looks at you funny for wearing that," Zoro advised Law grimly. "Then they won't make fun of you at all."

"As for your abilities," Sanji then stressed, hand reaching up to clasp Law's shoulders, "do NOT use them, because that is a dead giveaway that you are not a man. You will be treated as a monster. Is this understood?"

"Yeah, I mean, Zoro's got monster strength and people are always making fun of him," Luffy said with sympathy, Zoro snarling at him. "His self-esteem is horrible, he's so insecure."

"Shut up, Luffy!"

"How would I know when it's appropriate to do so?" Law asked Sanji gravely.

"For example," Sanji then said, pushing Zoro in front of him, the man looking alarmed, "swat him."

" _What_ , no!" Zoro protested. "He threw _you_ like a toy - !"

"Why would I do something stupid like that?" Law asked in exasperation.

"We need to level down your strength, and for now, let's find a clear level that's appropriate. He can take it, it's no problem."

"You hit me, I'm going to hit you back - !" Zoro warned before Law allowed a hand to fly. The three of them watched Zoro's feet lift and leave the sand, hitting the beach a short distance away – somersaulting until he hit the trees. Luffy and Sanji looked back at Law with similar sized eyes while Law frowned down at his hand, concerned about the amount of strength in such a slender casing.

"I see what you mean," Law then said gravely, fisting his fingers and lowering his hand. "I will be conscious of it in the future. After all, that was only a slap – I need full force to knock Kidd aside when he's in the midst of attack."

"I'm going to kill you," Zoro decided roughly, rising up from the trees. He staggered back and forth until hitting his knees, catching himself in the sand. "I'm going to kill _all_ of you."

Luffy laughed at him while Sanji looked at him with concern. "Maybe just keep your hands occupied at your sides at all times," he then said to Law with uncertainty. "Just…that piece of coral, perhaps you should keep it in your hand, and concentrate on not letting it go. That way…that way you can't hurt anybody."

"Hmm. Just as I'd always thought. Humans are weak and fragile. That's why they tend to drown."

"Not Sanji, though," Luffy said with approval. "This guy will make Satan send him back here by his screeching alone. That's how we knew he was still alive!"

"I. Do. Not. _Screech_!" Sanji then huffed, looking at Law with his hands on his hips. "No power. Just…stand there and…hold your tongue. Observe and fit in as necessary."

"But if I have an opinion, surely I'm allowed to share it. Especially when it comes to my comforts."

Luffy whacked Law with approval. "You got it! I have every confidence in you! And if you do something stupid, I'll be happy to let you know!"

He ducked when Law swatted back at him, Sanji hastily diving out of the way to avoid behind hit. Laughing, Luffy declared, "He's ready!"

"Now, as for me," Sanji then said, gaining their attention, "You'll not address me by my former status. Call me by my new name – Blackleg."

"Why? Because you wear black pants all the time? _Gah_ , you think with being shipwrecked, you'd get a little color. You could be part of the brown boys club, Sanji," Luffy said, holding up his tanned arm, Zoro standing back in the distance holding up his, and Law looking confused as he ended up glancing down at himself. Sanji reddened and stomped his foot with impatience before turning away with a growl. Luffy elbowed Law, snickering. "He always gets so mad because he's not part of the club."

"I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF _ANY_ CLUB!"

"So, you're really going to denounce yourself from your family?" Zoro asked Sanji skeptically, rejoining them. "Go out on a lam? I mean…people are going to notice you're still alive."

"Not if I do… _this_. I'm practically a different person when I do." Sanji parted his bang in the opposite direction, smoothing and combing it back over one eye. The pair laughed wildly at him, causing him an exasperated snarl.

 _My head hurts, and it's caused by their chatter_ , Law thought with bewilderment, touching his temple with a slow rub. _Every time they say something, I grow very, very tired and annoyed. Is it their voices? Their moods? Are all humans this stupid?_

"Sanji, sometimes you can be funny," Luffy said with some hiccups, wiping his eyes. "But if you feel like you can blend in like that, then go ahead."

"Change your whole name, at least! I can tell you right now, your name is that uncommon amongst us peasants, and you will be noticed," Zoro added, chuckling.

" _I said what I said_."

"Right! Well! We're ready to be rescued!" Luffy then shouted at the incoming boat, cupping his hands around his mouth. " _Hurry up and rescue us_!"

: :

The ship anchored a distance away, a row boat moving their way. Law understood that this particular group knew each other, picking out their screeches of joy. It made him wince, covering his ears.

"AHOY, matey's!" a woman cried out happily, waving her arm in the air as the man behind her rowed feverishly. "I knew I'd find you!"

" _NAMI_! Hey, hey, NAMI! LOOK WHO WE FOUND!" Luffy cried, racing out to meet her. He promptly forgot he couldn't swim, Sanji hastily running out to save him while Nami shouted out impatiently at Luffy to stay put.

"That witch can find anybody, sometimes," Zoro said with an impressed grin. "Her navigating skills are unmatched."

"A 'witch'?"

"Oh, that's used as a curse word towards someone who is ugly. Unpleasant. Shrill. Gods, I've managed to describe Sanji in the same breath.."

 _Ivankov is ugly, I suppose,_ Law thought with a confused expression. _And I am a mistake, which can be considered ugly._

"It has nothing to do with all of…this," Zoro added, gesturing at him and at the sea. "She's a woman."

 _So, that's a woman_ , Law thought, unimpressed as the woman in a thick, velvet cape and bright green and white dress stood grandly at the bow of the rowboat, her orange hair curling around her face and rather obvious chest mounds. Jewelry sparkled at her ears and neck, the color lace of her dress daintily holding onto green, shimmery pieces that seemed unpractical for sea wear. She threw herself out as the boat rocked up against the shore, and immediately hugged Sanji happily, Luffy hugging them both. Amidst the screams and cries and shouts of joy, Law winced as his head panged again.

"Ussop! Ussop! It's Sanji!"

"Waghhhhh Sanji! Everyone thinks you were dead!" The other man cried happily, racing out of the rowboat to join the group hug. "We knew you weren't!"

"Nami, Nami! Here, here, we found this guy, too!" Luffy then said, pulling away from the group hug to indicate Law. Zoro and Ussop reunited to talk joyfully, the younger hitting Zoro repeatedly for taking off to the sea in such a puny fishing boat.

Nami walked over to join Luffy, skirts dragging on the sand with a light slip of sound. She looked at Law, then performed a double take. She froze on the spot, terror pulling at her features. Sanji hastily he made his way back to Law's side, struggling to keep himself from adjusting the toga material around Law's legs.

Luffy then blinked, looking at Law with confusion. "Hey, what's your name again?"

"His name is Law, Nami," Sanji said, waving from one to the other. "This…this gentleman, he…I…I was fortunate to be rescued by him."

"That's a, uh…interesting…um…dress?" Nami stuttered.

"Oh, uh…he lost his clothes many…many years ago, and this is just a blanket, but…surely you have some clothes on that thing to assist?"

"Franky's here! They're both similar sizes, right?" Nami approached Law cautiously, swallowing noisily as the man glared down at her.

She was intimidated immediately – not because of the outfit he was wearing, but because he looked quite menacing. Those unusual gold eyes were intense with contempt, his rather attractive face fitted with something that she could describe as disgust. He was an unusually tall man with tanned skin and tattoos that she couldn't help but notice, but absurdly muscled; she felt threatened by someone that looked as if he could hurt her and not break a sweat.

"H-hello, I'm Nami," she greeted cautiously, hand out to be clasped with traditional greeting. Law glanced at that hand – decorated with heavy jewelry - then looked at her as if she'd said something nasty to him. She dropped her hand and Sanji chuckled nervously, standing between them.

"He's a little people shy," Sanji said with a stutter, patting the man's chest. His hand lingered longer than normal, Nami noticed with a curious furrow of her brow. Once he remembered it was there, he lowered it like a flame had licked his palm. He seemed to rub the sensation away with his other hand as he said, "Shy, even. He might look scary, but once he loosens up, he's quite…talkative. Law, this is Nami. She owns this ship. She's quite rich, she's the one that helped Luffy and Zoro with their fishing boat. It's polite and good manners to respond with the same sort of dignity she gave to you."

"This is a woman?" Law asked him, Nami looking at him with confusion. His eyes coursed up and down her frame, astonished at the amount of clothes she was wearing. He'd thought Sanji was smothered in his previous outfit the night of the ship fire; this woman was overkill. "You're right. They're very easily intimidated because her eyes keep moving towards my - "

Sanji covered his mouth with one hand, looking at Nami with stricken action before hurriedly moving forward to take her hand and lead her away. "Don't worry about what he says, he's in the midst of learning how to be a people – he's been on his own for quite some time. He was shipwrecked here _ages_ ago, and - !"

"Oh! Really? Wow, that's amazing," Nami said, glancing back at Law while he looked after them with vexation. She covered her mouth with one hand. "But he's quite frightening, are you sure he's not some type of human hunter?"

"Positive. That's just his face. I can assure you, on my life – "

"Ugh, you _stink_!" she then exclaimed, covering her mouth and nose with one arm, jerking back. "You smell like you've been treading shitty sewage waters for days!"

"I apologize, surely I can fix that on your ship."

"Please do. Also, I'm sure those two idiots have told you what's being said," she then mentioned, lowering her voice to do so and looking at him with concern.

"Yes. Therefore, I'm going to – "

"Is this a new thing?" she interrupted him, reaching up to brush at his bang. "How ghastly."

"Perhaps you can fix it properly for me?" he asked her sweetly. "Just you and I in your room, after my bath, your loving fingers in my - !"

She gasped as Sanji jerked backward, Law suddenly between them with a startled look of his own.

"Unhand me, goddamn you!" Sanji hissed at him, jerking and pulling at his arm without any success, Nami looking from one to the other with a terrified face.

"For some reason, hearing your voice change and your entire countenance shift into someone else just pissed me off," Law confessed to Sanji with light bewilderment in his tone, Sanji freezing in place.

"Yeah, he does that to me, too," Zoro said with a chuckle, joining them. Ussop took one look at the tall man and hastily returned to the rowboat. Luffy looked after him with amusement. "Just punch him, like we'd instructed."

"DON'T PUNCH ME!"

"Ahem, gentlemen," Nami interrupted, feeling braver now that she was reminded of whose presence she was in. She gently pulled Law's hand from Sanji's arm, and coaxed Sanji away with a gesture. "You're in a lady's presence. Please. Behave yourselves. I won't have you behaving like ruffians and giving me a piercing headache for the rest of the night. Good sir. Thank you for rescuing our Sanji. Though we knew that unfortunate shipwreck wasn't going to kill him – God knows very well it's very hard to kill an irritating person such as he – it was wonderful that you've done such a caring gesture."

She then held a hand out, fingers rubbing together. "Now, let's discuss _you_ paying _us_ for taking him off our hands…"

" _Nami_ -!" Sanji protested before Zoro intervened with, "He's coming with us, Nami."

Nami's eyes widened to dinner plates, looking at Law with terror. "He is?"

" _He is_?" Ussop echoed her from a distance away.

"Yes."

"For what reason?" she snarled, suddenly in his space and speaking low – though everyone could plainly hear her. "That man is _scary_ , he looks like the devil!"

Zoro crossed his arms firmly. "This agreement was between men."

"BUT I HAVE THE _BOAT_ , ZORO!"

Zoro gave a stumped expression, then gestured at Luffy. "Ah. Here. Talk to him. He has agreed to take responsibility."

Nami looked to Luffy with a warning expression, Luffy smiling at her. "Nami," he said slowly, curling an arm around her shoulders. She instantly covered her nose and mouth, skin turning green, "sometimes, men make agreements with each other on things that women shouldn't have to worry about. Sometimes, all a woman has to do is stand aside and support men from there – "

"How does this reassure me in any way? Sexist!" she snarled, punching him so hard that sand flew as he slammed face first into it with a garbled noise. Law's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Why am I being instructed to hold back when she clearly is of another species herself?" he asked Sanji in a low voice. Sanji shivered, shoulders jumping to his ears as his skin broke out into chilled bumps. He rubbed his ear, looking at Law with a start, face and neck turning bright red.

" _Don't do that to me_ ," he hissed low. Law gave him a blank expression, clearly not understanding while Sanji couldn't exactly explain why he jumped to save face.

Nami fixed her hair with a huff, Luffy unmoving in the sand. Zoro kicked him lightly to see if he were still alive. She turned to Sanji and Law, Sanji hastily taking a step away from Law, his expression sweaty and red. She wore a puzzled look as the man struggled to smile at her while Law gave her a suspicious look.

She wasn't sure of the tension, but she wasn't done thinking that this man was a threat. She gave the toga a onceover, skeptical about the story she was given. When her eyes finally reached his face, she felt her heart jolt, causing her to give a fluttering swallow.

"Now that I look at you," she then said, lips curving, "are you from a rich family?"

" _My family's dead_."

Sanji hastily inserted himself between them, saying hurriedly, "Nami, he's already spoken for. I apologize. I should've made that clear."

She stared at him for several moments, putting his previous words together with this one.

'Something fishy about this one,' she thought in conclusion. But she deflated, giving a snap of her fingers. "Oh. _Phooey_. Well, get on the boat, you jackasses. Let's get out of here."

"Hey, you can't call us that!" Zoro complained as she made her way back to the rowboat, dragging Luffy along by his hair. Luffy griped and complained before he crawled back to his feet, but she still didn't release him. "Be a fucking lady!"

"I am a lady! I'm _obviously_ a lady!"

"This is good," Sanji then assured Law as their voices rattled the small island. "Nami's a good friend of ours, and in the space of time in traveling, we can get you accustomed to the human life without trouble, and all be in on the secret. We're – all of us are like a small, mismatched family, we can trust each other without worry."

Law absorbed this, then clicked his tongue. "I'm still annoyed with you."

"That's fine, _that's fine_ , but in the meantime, let's board this boat. There are clothes available for you, you can take a bath, eat something – sleep on a bed! Doesn't that sound fine?"

"I assume a bed isn't a place for sleeping in narrow spaces, preferably _too_ narrow for predators to glide into while you're vulnerable?"

"…you'll see! Also – "

"I feel angry with you," Law then snapped, tone changing almost instantly. "I feel angry that you spoke to her in that manner. Why is that?"

"I…I…I don't know."

"I feel angry that you gave her such - ! Simpering attention! Falling all over yourself like…"

Sanji gave the others a worried look while Law looked at the water with disgust; the feelings too strange to sort out and identify. Seeing that they had some space to talk, he said quietly, "This is something you have to learn to control. Something…it's…you…want something all to yourself, and probably your natural reaction is to hold onto it with both hands, but…you have to learn how to share. Share and…be okay with it."

"I only feel that way with food, but associating it with a person is…difficult."

"We have to hide that to ourselves. Okay? I…you're going to be center of attention no matter what you do, you're such a striking man – just…hands to yourself. Okay?"

Law found the concept was going to be difficult. It was instinct to reach out and grab something that looked interesting, to fiddle with it and explore it. Attributing it to a person standing in front of him was such a new concept. But while he understood what Sanji was telling him, another feeling told him to ignore the advice and to act on instinct.

He nodded just to show that he heard.

Hands in prayer form, Sanji then said, "This is the manner of men, Law. We simper over women to make them feel good. You don't have to do it the way that I do, but…don't treat them like how we treat each other. They are different from us."

"A weaker sex?"

"Yes. Very – we have to protect them and value them."

"Ours protect themselves, so shouldn't that be the same, here?"

"Humans are different, Law!"

"HEY!" Luffy shouted at them from the rowboat. "Hurry up! Let's go! They have food waiting for us!"

"And baths!" Nami chimed in.

"Come," Sanji urged Law, taking his arm and coaxing him to take a step. "Come with us. Now's your chance."

"I don't have a choice," Law snapped, ripping his arm away from him. "Don't touch me anymore. The contact with your hand on my new skin is making my di – "

Sanji squealed, covering his mouth with both hands. In crowding up against him, he realized what Law was going to say. In horror, he whirled around to see just how far everyone was, and then, realizing they had safe distance, snarled in a whisper, "You put that thing away! Hide it! Control it! Think – think of something disgusting, something – utterly, _utterly_ terrible. Blood and guts, a- a bad smell! _Something_ \- ! Never have a damned – _hard-on_ – around the ladies! That's – that's -! _Improper_!"

"I cannot control the _weather_ ," Law said in exasperation, sure he was using Luffy's expression in the same manner. "This body is new and different – this had never happened to me down there, why is it - ?"

"It's a sign of arousal!" Sanji hissed, explaining despite himself. His entire face and body was bright red. "It's the human male's reaction to something physically pleasing! It happens!"

"I'm angry at you, so why should I have to feel this way? Since it reacts on its own, I should speak to it – "

" _NO!_ " Despite himself, remembering his own actions, Sanji laughed loudly before he caught himself. He shook Law by his shoulders with an impatient gesture. "No, don't! It doesn't work that way. Use your mind to do so – _again_ , I suggest thinking of unpleasant things to - !"

Once he saw the concentrative look on Law's face, Sanji waited. He glanced down to make sure the effect was working in their favor, blushing like mad as he did so. Then he looked up at Law again, holding his breath.

"Is it working?"

"Yes. I am just remembering how angry I was when you spoke with…" Law trailed off, opening to narrow his eyes. "Miss Nami. Correct?"

"Yes, yes, that is correct. Honorifics."

" _Mr_ Blackleg," Law then stressed, swatting his hands off his shoulders and forcing him aside. "Hands off me. Don't touch me."

Sanji watched him wobble slightly towards the boat, everyone already loaded while Ussop pushed it out into the water with heaving complaints. He exhaled, wiping sweat from his forehead with effort before hurrying after him.

From the rowboat, Nami tutted to herself. 'Oh, Sanji dear,' she thought with fondness, 'you think we're so stupid that we wouldn't know what that face means…'

: :

The Tangerine Dream was a sizable craft. Roomy, with a spacious deck that had pots of trees on them, and an inside that boasted sizable corridors, rooms, and materials that Law hadn't ever seen in a wreck. While everyone on board celebrated Sanji's existence with loud shouts and merry greetings, he ventured away. Now he understood why Zoro wanted to teach him to run – a rocking boat was tough to negotiate on his 'baby' feet. His balance was so unsteady, but there were handrails to grasp and walls that weren't slick upon touch. There were paintings of various places on the walls that looked so real – trees that fluttered within the breeze, rivers that gleamed with sunlight. Places he'd only seen in books caught in wreckages.

'Rivers,' he heard Corazon said firmly, pointing at what he'd called a 'map' alongside a thick book of watercolor paintings. 'Large, constantly moving bodies of water through land, cutting through rock and dirt.'

'How do you know so much?' Law heard himself ask, squinting at the paintings that were slowly being eaten by water and fish that tested the papers with small bites. A crab scurried over his hands, startling him.

Corazon had pointed to his head cheerfully. 'I remember someone saying that to me, and now I can pass this information onto you!'

 _He should've passed onto me his reasons,_ Law thought bitterly, moving from one painting to the other. _Not died like bait left behind in the sea_.

This one caught buildings built around a narrow road, with people painted in mid-motion. The sun was visible in the distance, hiding behind wisps of clouds. The painting, when examined closely, startled him to catch the fact that these were just dashes of various color mixed together without any true shape to them. It made him wonder if such scenes were a lie, a myth.

A feminine clearing of throat startled Law, but he restrained himself from reacting. He held himself stiffly, looking away from the painting. He turned to see a woman standing at the end of the corridor with a cup held in both hands, watching him with a questioning tilt of her head.

"A stowaway?" She questioned, black dress fluttering lightly at her feet as she took a step forward. She reminded Law of a shark for some reason, a certain nervousness aroused in him as he turned to face her. She sipped from her cup.

 _What's a 'stowaway'?_ Law wondered, frantically searching his memory for any related teachings from Corazon.

Her blue eyes dropped to his blanket, and she released a small smile. "That's the blanket I packed in their boat. I assume they're adopting you."

 _Adopt_ …

"A pet?" Law asked, narrowing his eyes.

She blinked at him. "Me? Or you? Because I can assure you, I wouldn't be the pet in their hands."

"Isn't that what you're suggesting?"

After a few moments of rolling around his words, she smiled again. "Adopt – meaning bringing up a child as one's own, not necessarily related. A stray child."

 _Corazon adopted me_ , Law then thought, finding it fitting. _Or_ …

"I am older than that," he said. "I'm not the child."

"I believe light humor isn't something you're accustomed, to. What is your name, stranger?"

 _Am I supposed to talk to her? I don't have to,_ Law then reasoned, turning and walking down the corridor, once again focused on the paintings. She followed, her footsteps a sharp clip against the wood. Checking to make sure she wasn't a threat, Law focused on the other paintings. They weren't of any same subject, but portraying scenes ranging from mountainous scenery to large, colorful groupings of people. Because of his discovery due to the dashes of paint, he couldn't believe that they were actual moments in time, captured by an artist. He kept thinking they were related to 'myths'.

Running steps alerted them both to Sanji, whose bare feet slapped the wood with urgency.

"Robin! Milady," Sanji greeted her cheerfully, Robin perking up at the sight of him. She gave him a one armed hug as he politely gave her distance.

"Your highness!"

"Oh, no, no longer – I am dead, so as a result, I no longer retain the title."

"Ah, how lucky! Thank heavens you're still alive! You must have an interesting tale to regale us later over second or third dinner, tonight!"

"Ah, yes, yes, I do. Um…yes, that one there…I can thank him for saving me. He's, uh, part of the tale. So…"

"I can't wait to hear it. And the others?"

"They're still up top, talking to Franky. And, so, on that note…I will be assisting this gentlemen here – we're in need of clothing and a bath."

"Mmm, together?"

" _Robin_ …"

She chuckled, Law looking back with suspicion as he detected a difference in Sanji's tone compared to the one he took with Nami. Considering that this woman was older, he seemed to hold himself more politely in front of her – it didn't cause Law that same sense of anger he'd felt earlier.

 _Share_ , he thought to himself with trouble, looking at another painting.

"I'll leave you to it." Robin then walked away, dress dragging against the floor as her cup and plate clinked together.

Sanji joined Law in the corridor, glancing at the paintings and then at the tall man that seemed to crowd the narrow space. "Her name was Robin. She's a lady – "

"Is it that much different from a woman?"

"No…women are all females, but she's…well, she's an explorer," Sanji said carefully. "And a different class from Nami, but those titles are…unimportant when Robin is with us. She prefers a casual standing with us, as much as I did."

Law didn't understand, but he wasn't going to put anymore time into castes. All humans were humans in his eyes. All of them drowned the same when in the water.

"Come. Franky directed me to his room to retrieve some clothes that may fit you, and it's time we use this opportunity to clean ourselves up. I can't wait to be clean," Sanji said with relief, leading the way down the corridor and taking a left. Law took his time.

Being inside a ship gave him different smells; different textures that weren't ruined by sea water and investigative sea creatures gave him odd sensations against his new fingers; the floor reverberated against his bare feet, and the slight rocky of the boat atop of the water made his legs shaky. The corridor was so much more narrower as a human than what it would have been if he were still a merman. His tail would often bump into the sharp corners, catch against light fixtures, but as a human, he avoided all these things. He felt as if he were walking through a weird dream.

Sanji led him to a wide room that was turquoise with fashionably faded paint, the walls decorated with flowery print and light leaving softly glowing sconces. The windows were open to the sea and starry sky, but he could see his reflection plainly in the glass. There were plants dangling from the low ceiling, and water shot out from a curled metal pipe that drained into a tub attached to a white floor with tiles that gleamed. It was almost confusing for Law, who stumbled, thinking the gleam was water itself. Sanji caught his arm, steadied him as he checked the temperature of the bath.

"These are things you wash yourself with," he then said hastily, turning to pluck bottles from a nearby cabinet. "This is soap, this is shampoo – "

"Why do I care about these things?"

"Soap washes away the dirt and scum on your body, takes away unpleasant smells. Shampoo makes your hair soft – you wouldn't know these things being underwater, but once you've had a bath, you'll realize the magic of it. Here."

Law took the soap clumsily, seeing that each bottle was labeled with squiggles he didn't quite understand.

"The soap is yellow, the shampoo is white – "

"What does that mean?"

Sanji exhaled slowly once he realized Law's puzzled tone, looking from one to the other. "Colors," he stated. "Don't tell me – "

"I can differentiate colors. I know what they are. Blue. Black. Grey. Green. But why are they these colors? Are they taken from the blood of animals?"

Sanji gave him a puzzled blink, and it occurred to him that he had no idea what these things were made off. He gave a shrug. "I…Robin would actually know these things better than I, I'm afraid."

"Ivankov used bioluminescence from deep sea animals to decorate herself with."

Sanji had no idea what 'bioluminescence' meant. "Well, uh…so, once you are in the bath, soak yourself for a good twenty minutes. It's relaxing. Then, use this soap here…rub it into suds. Like this. Then apply it to…um…your underarms here, here, and here. Lather and massage until you feel clean. Wash these areas thoroughly – get to know yourself intimately, so you're not ashamed, otherwise…it'll make for bad hygiene. Clean out…the sand and…tangles."

Law gave him a blank look.

"I can wash your back if you'd like – "

"I can do it myself. I already told you, I don't want you touching me."

"Oh thank heavens," Sanji murmured with a rising blush, nervously running his own hands through his hair. Law gave him a sharp look. Sanji gave him a look. "Once you're done with that, use this shampoo, massage it along your scalp and through the ends…like this."

Law watched the demonstration skeptically, looking to him from the bottle. "Is this what you do?"

"Yes, but I'll wait my turn. Retrieve some things from their spare rooms, perhaps prepare your room in advance because I'm sure you can't wait to sleep – "

Law examined the bottles, then the depth of the water in the tub. Checking the temperature again, Sanji then turned to him to pull the knots loose from his toga.

"Go ahead. Step in."

The tub was small, cramped and Law couldn't straighten out his legs. So he sat in warm water with a puzzled look, a little mystified by the sensation of 'strange' water against his new flesh. It didn't feel like sea water. Sitting there, he missed his tail, the accompanying fins. Without them, he felt like he lacked direction – like the whiskers of a cat. Sitting in water within a room atop of sea waves he looked up from, Law felt like he was in some parallel universe. Overwhelmed with all the newness around him, weighed down by the information he was given in what felt like a spur of a moment.

"Just breathe slow, okay?" He heard Sanji say from a distance away; but the human male was still standing beside him, and Law found it took effort to look at him. Sanji seemed to be wearing a sympathetic expression. Law found it irritating, slapping water in his direction. Giving him a dirty look, Sanji retrieved a clean wash cloth from a nearby cupboard, tossing it to him. "I'll leave it to you, give you some privacy. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

"Where are Shachi and Penguin?" Law asked again, looking at the washcloth with a puzzled frown.

"I…haven't seen them," Sanji answered. "Not since…surely they were with you?"

It felt odd that the pair hadn't arrived throughout the entire time Law was with the humans on the island, nor were they there when he with Sanji earlier. He squeezed the washcloth within one hand. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Squirt some soap onto it, lather it."

"What is 'lather'?"

Sanji glanced up at the ceiling. Everyone was busy on deck, reuniting with fanfare and tales – knowing that he was taking care of his new 'friend'. Within the safety of the confined space, it felt a relief to have some privacy. He walked over to the door, and quietly locked it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Shadow: 8**

* * *

Law examined himself in the full body length mirror, struggling not to feel suffocated. The white button shirt hung loosely at his shoulders and clung to his waist; the sleeves were rolled up and pinned at his forearms, revealing the tattoos that he'd dismissed upon discovery.

 _Hourglasses_ , he told himself firmly.

The trousers he wore were loose at the thighs and pooled at his ankles, but they were held in place by suspenders that smelled of animal skin and a sweet, clean scent. The sliders sparkled underneath the soft lights from the walls. His hair was still wet, but dripped occasionally around his shoulders. Clothes felt so confining and heavy against his flesh, but seeing him dressed in human-wear caused him pause to stare.

 _Human_ , he thought, staring at his reflection. It surprised him to see himself so broadly, when the only reflection he'd ever looked into were the murky ones caught in the depths of the sea, and the small piece of glass he used to shave. So he examined the width of his cheekbones, the strong lines of his jaw, a neck thick and burly with muscle, collarbones that peeked from the open collar. His skin was missing all those colors that allowed him to hide himself within the cold, blue-green waters he'd grown up in. His hair was thick and messy, but the shampoo…it transformed it into a mass he could run his fingers through, marveling over the difference. His sense of smell told him he didn't smell like the sea no longer, but something musky and sharp; he lifted his arm to smell his own flesh, fascinated at the difference.

In the reflection, he looked back at Sanji as he sat in the tub, lathering himself in soap suds with a pleased look to his face. His blonde hair was scrunched into various directions, bubbly white and heavy with shampoo while soap suds drizzled over his shiny flesh. He'd shaved his face before entering the bath, his skin seemingly baby soft and gleaming with health. While it was obvious he was without a proper diet for days, it was the glow he emanated because he was saved that made him look healthy.

Law paused because another feeling swept through him at that moment, and it flamed his whole body with recognized pleasure, caused his pants to tighten. It floored his thoughts, drove away all his fascinations with himself to think of all their moments in the sea. He forced himself to look back at himself, remembering that he was angry at the human for all his deceptions. When he saw his face, he noticed how tightly held his jaw was, how flushed his tanned cheeks were, how his own amber eyes glowed with a strange fever.

 _Lust_ , he thought to himself with surprise. _For a human…why did I never react to someone of my own kind? Perhaps I wouldn't be in this mess…_

He whirled from the mirror. "Human!" he snapped, startling Sanji out of his sudsing, "you piss me off! Get out of here!"

Sanji blinked at him, then frowned, resuming sudsing. " _You_ get out, you fool. I'm not even close to being done."

"How could you not mention that you knew Doflamingo?"

"We went over this," Sanji replied, reaching for the handheld spray and turning it on with a squeak.

Law walked over to the tub, looking down at him. Sanji reflexively covered himself, giving him a dirty look.

"Sir, please look away."

"Looking at myself in the mirror just…these things are so confining!" Law then snarled, pulling at his shirt and tugging at his suspenders. When neither of them moved, he applied more force, ripping the shirt from him and causing Sanji to slap the edge of the tub with the sprayer, snarling, "Your temper tantrum solves nothing here! You are here now, you might as well as take in everything that you possibly can for memories later on! Stop that right now – go sit in the corner and think about what you're doing?"

"I am so _angry_ ," Law muttered, fists clenched as he pulled at the remnants of the shirt, looking at the torn material with a snarl. He ripped the entire thing off, suspenders loosening and catching at his waist. Sanji watched him turn away, angrily whirling the shirt around on a wrist and then tossing it aside in a shredded ball.

He laughed, rinsing himself off. "You are a creature that reacts only on his instinct," he commented lightly. "Eat when hungry, sleep when tired, without any real goal in life but to survive."

"And you are so above men that common outbursts of emotion, as alien as they are to you from another being that's not human," Law said slowly, "that you mock them and claim them childish."

Sanji checked himself, wiping shampoo from his eyes and face. "You're right, I apologize," he said sincerely, resting his arms against the edge of the tub. "Why are you so angry? That outburst was almost random."

"I understand that perhaps we are still strangers," Law said, "and that perhaps what we speak of prevents any serious sympathy or further thought, so you don't care to know why this situation bothers me."

"I know it does. You weren't ready, you let us all know. If anything, be angry at that thing that put you in this situation," Sanji said, grabbing the sprayer and ducking his head to wash out the shampoo.

 _I'm going to eat her_ , Law vowed sullenly, crossing his arms over his chest. He turned to the mirror once more and examined the 'hourglass' imprinted on his skin. The hearts and faces didn't make any more sense than the sunspots on his arms and the backs of his hands. He ran his hand over his muscled pectorals with examination, tracing over the dark, temporary lines with scorn. From behind him, Sanji caught sight of this, water rushing over his head as his mouth dropped open slightly.

 _Erotic_ , he thought vaguely before he caught himself. He quickly sprayed his own face. Once the shampoo suds ran clear, he angrily slapped the item down and barked at Law, "If you are done in here, unlock that door and leave! You're distracting me!"

"…Are you _angry_ at me?" Law asked him, outraged.

"Because of you, I questioned and practically dropped my faith," Sanji snapped back at him, rising and snatching a towel from the nearby stand. "Years upon years of faith and devotion that, admittedly, I questioned constantly, but you ruined it for me!"

 _For looking so outrageously breathtaking as a fish, and now as a man!_ He thought crossly, feeling angry about it. He waved the towel about. "If anything, I'm just as angry at you!"

"You're not allowed to be angry at me for that," Law told him, crossing his arms.

"I mean, if we're going to be uselessly mad at each other, might as well as one-up the other for it."

"…My anger is valid." Law stared at him for several moments, then angrily flailed out of his suspenders, the material snapping at his skin as he fumbled with it.

Despite himself, Sanji laughed again. "You're such a fucking child! Calm down!"

"Wearing clothes is a ridiculous concept! It's confining, like being caught in kelp!"

"But necessary," Sanji reminded him, drying off clumsily and then finding his pile of clothes on the chair nearby. He wrapped the towel around his hips before examining a nearby cupboard, looking for skin softening oils or talc and finding both with a hum. "Must be Franky's…"

"What is that stuff? More soap?"

Sanji examined the bottles, eyes lifting up and away as he realized Law's attention was his way. _If God could hear my thoughts_ , he thought, feeling his eye twitch, _I'd be struck down. But since nothing so far has been of His hand_ …

He turned to Law, face twitching as his body's cardiopulmonary system began to race with devious excitement. He patted the chair. "Come sit. Let me introduce you."

"In the short time I've known you, that face only means one thing."

Sanji coughed against his own shoulder, then laughed, clearly guilty as his face burned with embarrassment.

Seeing the man standing in a towel, dipping on the floor, Law searched the tiles for an answer. All thoughts trailed back to one thing, and it enraged him. "I'm still mad. I'll welcome the distraction, but this is not going to work all the time."

"I mean, we're men overall. And it's okay to admit that we can be randy devils when it is appropriate."

"What's a devil? What is randy?"

"Come."

"Why is it okay to admit we're 'randy' when you keep telling me I can't express affections – ?"

"You can't express affections in the open," Sanji reminded him as Law walked over. "But we're in a room by ourselves, with the door locked. And I found us some skin oils for both of us."

"That oil is taken from someone's skin?" Law asked cautiously as Sanji squirted some into the palm of his hand. "I don't want that on me."

"It's not from the skin of anything. It's manufactured and created in a factory. Most likely from the petals of flowers."

"Humans are so odd," Law said with a tired sigh, sitting on the chair. "Stealing from the living to satisfy a momentary hardship."

Sanji's eyes lifted from that blue black head to the ceiling, wearing a troubled expression. _Are You hearing this? No,_ he then thought, shaking his head furiously. _Don't talk to Him. Not when you're obviously about to sin. …Somehow._

He smoothed the oil onto the other man's skin, marveling at the hard and definite display of muscles. He felt his mouth slacken with familiar craving, utterly enraptured by the sight of minute definitions and the sensation of hard, thick muscle underneath smooth skin. The heat built in his stomach and coated his veins as he massaged the oil in, taking the opportunity to feel every individual ridge.

Law furrowed his brow. He couldn't see or sense Sanji in anyway, but the air was incredibly tense. The feel of the human's hands on him produced different sensations that made him warm, cluttered his thoughts.

 _I'm mad but this is a distraction I could forgive_ , he then thought with a mental shrug. _Simply because it pleases me. I am a male, I feel things – instinctively, I want to pursue it.._

"Are you done, yet?" he asked impatiently, looking down at the erection straining at his trousers. "How do humans do it?"

"Romance me, damn it! That's what I'm attempting to do, here! None of this fish mating business like we have been doing, because you're no longer a fish!" Sanji snapped at him, voice rough as his eyes were riveted to the movement of his hands. "Plus, I…I'm clueless. I don't know how to proceed, but I'm sure we'll figure it out together."

"When I observed other merfolk doing it – "

"This voyeurism…!"

"It was from behind. Cock to vent." Leering at him, Law managed to sneak his hand beneath towel and find the sensitive area on the human. "Here."

"Ahhhh!" Sanji cried, pulling away with a bat of his hand to dislodge the grip.

"And the one taking it pulled and massaged at himself, and both of them were pleasured. So, if we do that, surely it's the same thing."

"All I accidentally witnessed were one," Sanji gulped, oily fingers to his mouth, " _were one_ on his knees, taking in the other's trouser eel like it were..."

Law thought of an eel with a puzzled expression, applying a set of trousers to it with some effort.

Sanji paused in his ministrations, suddenly horrified at how easily he could place the pair of them in the things he'd accidentally walked in on. _How could it be that easy when both moments had made me sick to my stomach?_ he thought with panic.

"Well, enough talk."

"At least let me moisten your skin. A man must take care of himself in order to appear presentable…unlike those animals running about above us," Sanji muttered, his hands moving with weight and causing Law to furrow his brow as he was jolted forward. He then stepped around Law, observing the position for a moment before easing onto the taller man's legs, Law watching the movement with a change of expression – no longer angry.

He lifted his hands to settle on Sanji's hips, inching that towel down with his thumbs. He liked the way his own fingers created indentures into the other man's flesh, turning it a faint red. Freshly soaped skin did have a different texture and smell that made Law's nostrils flare ever so slightly as he inhaled it in. Having human fingers produced a different sensation that made him think that this was the first time he'd touched the human – even if he knew nearly every inch already.

"Your dumb face turns so happy when we do stuff like this," Sanji chuckled, wiping his hands on the towel before Law could remove that. After everything they'd done in the water, his sense of modesty was long gone. He dumped more oil into his palm before setting the bottle aside, rubbing it warm between his hands. He smoothed the oil against Law's chest, massaging the muscles there, watching his own fingers knead lined skin. As the impulse seized him, Sanji pressed his head forward, gently kissing Law's jawline. His nose pushed against the other man's cheek, and the scent of him caused every part of him to open and warm with delight. Bravely, he shifted his mouth from jaw to the other man's lips, kissing him softly just to see what Law would do. Law pulled his head back to give Sanji a look, his fingers tightening around his hips.

"What are you doing?" he questioned with disbelief, Sanji blinking at him.

"Kissing you."

"That's gross."

Sanji stared at him with struck horror, mind ringing with outrage. All his thoughts came and tumbled together – _I made it with a fucking fish!_ That's _gross!_ – and fortunately, none made it to his tongue.

Seeing the flying emotions across the other man's face pleased Law, feeling his lips curl with satisfaction. "Just kidding. We do that, too, stupid."

Seeing the other man's smile made Sanji's heart melt, and he grinned back, fingers smoothing against the planes and ridges that made up Law's face. "Sometimes," he admitted against his mouth, trying to prompt him to kiss him back, "you can be cute."

"What's - ?"

Sanji made a sound in the back of his throat, impatiently shutting him up with insistent kisses, fingers in his sideburns and smoothing against his ears. Law's hands moved up from his hips to crawl up Sanji's front, fingers teasing hardening nipples, tracing the outline of them. He did return the kisses clumsily, both of them soft to touch and explore, taking their time to be used to the sensation. Sanji pressed his forehead against his, taking a breath.

"You're my first kiss," he admitted, thumbs rubbing circles along the strong jawbones.

"You're my first everything. I wonder if doing these things with someone else will feel the same – "

" _Shit fuck shithead_!"

"You accuse me of being instinctive with my emotions, and here you are, flying off the handle at every little thing I do."

"If we are going to play that game, then perhaps we should just cut this short – "

"Angry little childish human," Law murmured, wrapping his arms around Sanji's back and crushing him against him. Because of the strength used, Sanji lost his breath, arms caught at his sides, so he wiggled angrily to stand and get away. "Always using his speech to fill the air when he's feeling threatened by a bigger predator."

"I've not _ever_ \- ! Oh, ho, ho, ho, so presumptuous of you to think I even fear a bigger predator - !"

Law closed his teeth onto Sanji's neck, the man emitting noises that didn't belong to a human. But he stood from the chair and bit him again, Sanji managing to wiggle his hand between his mouth and shoulder. "Payback for biting me that first time."

"If you're trying to put me in my place, it's not working," Sanji told him, wrapping his legs around him, squeezing hard enough to have Law heave a sound of surprise. He inched his knees upward, feeling out for his ribcage and giving another painful squeeze. Law instantly dropped them both to the floor, Sanji barking out a sound as he took the weight of both of them. But the moment they made eye contact, the tension shifted again. Sanji wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close to kiss. Law allowed the moment, lightly pushing his legs to fold around his waist, heat building up between them.

All this play made him painfully hard, and the trousers weren't helping. He couldn't think of anything else but the moment right here in front of them. He touched the human with hands that felt new – even as he was already familiar with Sanji's body, the sensations with seemingly new skin produced urgent ones.

Both of them were so wrapped up in each other, hands moving everywhere that when the knock on the door sounded, both of them were startled. Sanji shoved Law off with superhuman strength and rolled away from him, scrambling for the clothes he'd abandoned on the chair.

"One moment!" he called out, hastily yanking his clothes on. "We are almost ready!"

"Sanji? 'We'? You have that man in there?" Nami asked with incredulity.

"Of course! Just fitting him into Franky's clothes. He needs some fair assistance, and I am the only one that can help him," Sanji said, Law rolling onto his side with a severe frown.

 _There's that feeling again_ , he thought bitterly. Sanji buttoned his shirt, adjusted his collar, then pulled at his sleeves. Looking at him, Law was a little startled at the sudden change in the man. No longer the bedraggled shipwreck survivor in ruined, tattered clothing, but a man wearing sharply tailored clothes that both hugged and screamed the fine shape of his form. With his hair soft and clean – combed to the opposite side – it showcased the rigid sharpness of his facial features.

Law had to sit up, hands in his lap as he gaped up at the other man with awe. _A prince_ , he thought, unsure of why the word fit but finding it fitting this regal stranger.

After Sanji pulled on a jacket that gleamed with gold buttons and adjusted the cuffs, he gave his hair one last comb through with his fingers and looked to Law with a smile. He held his hands out to the man. "Up you go," he said, pulling Law to his feet. "Let's find you a new shirt. Ah, wait…wait here one moment…"

Law gave him a foul look as Sanji swept out from the bathroom, speaking jovially to Nami. The sound of his apparent compliments from her hair to her dress caused Law to grit his teeth soundly. He didn't know why he had to wait for "one moment" while this occurred, so he slammed the door open, startling them both.

Nami took cover behind Sanji, who looked at Law with a growl. He pushed the man away, moving them down the hall.

"Inform Franky that we shall be borrowing another shirt!" he called over his shoulder to Nami, who looked puzzled. "The other was a smidge too small."

Their words were too low and angry for her to decipher as they walked out of sight, but Nami's right eyebrow lifted. _A man in Sanji's bathroom while he bathed_ , she thought with a half scandalized expression, fanning herself. _When he'd color the air blue if Zoro or Luffy even looked at him with his jacket off. Hmm._

: :

Dinner was served by a man that went nameless as the group settled in their chairs. Law was grumpy about the lack of completion to an act, and frustrated with the concept of clothes. Yet his bare feet settled flat on the floor as servers decorated their plates with steaming piles of food. Colorful, fragrant and vivid, each food group caused his forehead to furrow as he was served. The amount of utensils alongside each plate made absolutely no sense. Sanji had his hands together and head bowed, mouth moving before he caught himself. He then suddenly straightened up with resolve, looking troubled. Luffy was already eating before everyone could stop him, Zoro cramming pink colored meat into his mouth without regards to closing it as he chewed.

Law stared down at the options presented in front of him, finding each particular dish rather grotesque. Unlike what he was used to - vividly colored innards, stark white bones, dull colored kelp – everything here was either covered in a glaze, melting goo, or steamed with such brilliant color that he thought he was looking at something cooked by warm, dangerous waters near lava activity. On a separate plate was a two toned item that reminded him of puffer fish, steamed and lumpy, a dish of something yellow aside of it. None of it appealed to him in any manner, but his body reminded him that he hadn't fed in awhile. It gurgled noisily despite his thoughts, and he swallowed tightly with a dry throat because it had never occurred to him that he was thirsty.

Franky, Ussop, Robin, an older man named Brook and a larger man in bright, brilliant robes that didn't fit in with the rest of the group occupied the table with friendly smiles his way.

"This is my savior, Law," Sanji introduced him. Amidst the greetings his way, Sanji pointed and named each one. "Ussop, Franky, Robin, Brook, and that's Jimbei."

At their chiming greetings, Robin only offering a light smile, Law wondered why any of their company mattered when his only goal was confronting Doflamingo Donquixote over Corazon's death. He noticed Jimbei drinking from a cup, and felt himself swallow tightly as the man enjoyed every drop. A servant poured white liquid into a cup Brook held out with a delighted expression.

"Are we telling them, now?" Luffy asked, chewing noisily. "Are we telling them now, Sanji?"

Sanji hesitated, wearing a wince as he looked to his plate. He reached over to point out the name of the utensils and their usage.

"That sort of thing gets tiring," Zoro said, fork full and one cheek swollen with food. "Just eat with this and that, and if that doesn't work, then fingers are fine."

"How crass!" Nami chuckled, shooting him a sharp look. She must've kicked him underneath the table because Zoro jolted and spewed his food over his plate with a pained noise. She then looked to Law, fingers nervously to her mouth. "Listen to Sanji."

"Just use whatever feels right, man," Franky said, his voice loud and causing Law a twitch. "If it's runny, spoon it. If it's hard, finger it."

Robin cleared her throat noisily as Brook suddenly laughed, Nami looking to Franky with a snarl, face blooming bright red. "A new world answer to an old world problem!" Brook said, spilling his milk over his lap. "Oh, dear. Nami…if you will, dear, before it soaks my – "

" _I'm not helping you_!"

"Oh, here, man, let me help," Franky offered with his napkin, Brook jolting away from him with a wild cry of horror. Luffy started to laugh before he started choking, Zoro hastily whapping him across the back. Once he hacked out a chunk of barely chewed meat, Nami hollered at him to "chew your damn food!"

Law's head panged again, and his hand lifted before he realized many pairs of eyes were shooting his way. So he lowered his hand once more, suddenly stiff. The feeling of having too many eyes on him caused a new feeling that felt like panic and discomfort wash over him with slow building power. _There were too many people,_ he realized. Too many humans at once with their prying eyes, and his skin prickled with this new – _almost intimidating_ – feeling.

Sanji said hastily, "Uh, well, my story…thanks to this gentleman, I'm alive today. Um…"

"HE'S A FORMER FISH!" Luffy cried with excitement. "A mermaid!"

" _WHAT_?" Brook, Ussop and Franky cried.

"He's not a beautiful woman!" Brook accused, hitting the table with one age spotted hand, his indignation obvious.

"Mermaids can't be men," Franky scoffed.

"More like a shark," Ussop whispered with worry, eyes huge against his face.

"Oh, that's interesting," Robin said with delight, lighting up.

Jimbei watched Law with fascination, blinking every so often. But he leaned back in his chair to look at the back of Law's, clearly looking for a tail.

"And, there's more," Sanji added nervously. "Much more, ah…so, he's also in the company of a sea witch that allowed this transition from fish to man to happen."

"Ivankov is both man and woman!" Luffy cried out, chewing furiously. "She had both parts!"

" _WHAT_?" Brook, Ussop and Franky cried, Jimbei's eyes widening with interest. Robin looked puzzled, Nami tilting her head with utter confusion.

Luffy pulled two pieces of turkey legs to his chest, wiggling from side to side. "Big ones, too!"

"They weren't _that_ big," Zoro said with a scoff. "More like mid-sized."

"And a complete set!" Luffy added, twisting both legs against Ussop's nose, the man gasping with shock. "Yeah, what was I supposed to think? But she had them both, and insisted she was a 'ma'am', and not a sir, and do not worry, Nami, I was _very_ polite."

"He tried to eat her."

"That was an accident!" Luffy snarled at Zoro, taking a bite out of each leg. "I thought it would be something we could eat! Sanji was ready to boil her – "

"No, no, no," Sanji denied, waving a hand about. "No boiling. Thankfully, she was still alive."

"Law," Robin interjected, leaning over the table to look around Franky. "This type of being is normal in your world?"

 _It's not that unusual_ , Law thought pensively, picking up a fork and wondering why the tines were different from the other fork on the left side. He remembered Corazon welding two in one hand, the other holding a knife – somehow, while swinging them around with some lively tale, he'd stabbed his own hip with these forks. The shrill screams of the merman resonated within his thoughts. He set the fork down.

Sanji hurriedly looked to the others, apologizing. "Ivankov was a being that was…undecided…and it had mentioned it had brought you in this direction to find us? How did that work?"

"Do you not speak the same language as we do?" Jimbei asked Law curiously. "Perhaps if we speak slower, it would help…"

Luffy chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about it, Jimbei, trust me, he can speak just fine. He's a grumpy fella, and it's totally understandable. He was in Sanji's company – in fact, Sanji probably forced him to save him – "

"These falsehoods coming out of your mouth!" Sanji snapped at him, reaching over to grab the roll of bread in front of Law, opening it and buttering it liberally before forcing it into Law's hand. "Eat this. I can hear your stomach complaining from here."

Law crushed the food in his hand, then grew puzzled at the oily sensation in his hand as the butter clung to his fingers.

"What matters is Sanji is alive," Nami spoke up, lowering her salad fork to the side. She blotted her mouth with her napkin. "and we are very thankful for Mr Law here to have found him."

"As always, you speak words of gold, Miss Nami!"

Law cautiously licked his finger, then spat to the side as the foreign taste immediately disagreed with him. He tossed the bread over his shoulder, looking for something that looked marginally edible for him to eat. Then he noticed the intense, sudden silence, lifting his eyes to see multiple nervous looks moving from him to Sanji. He looked over to see Sanji's face red and bulging with veins, hand fisted around his knife and fork. Because he'd done something offensive, Law watched Sanji with question, hesitant to do anything else.

Sanji cleared his throat, eye visibly twitching as he said with a strained voice, "We shouldn't waste food…Law. If something is to your dissatisfaction, then please, offer it to another. Out here, each meal could be our last."

"Makes sense," Law said. "But I'd survive."

"NOT AS A HUMAN - !" Sanji collected himself, clearing his throat again with effort. He left his chair and retrieved the crushed roll, retaking his seat and eating it for himself. Everyone else resumed eating. "Just take a small bite of everything – should anything be to your dissatisfaction, then leave it. Surely, you'll find something worthy of your taste buds' preference."

"Something's fishy," Ussop murmured, narrowing his eyes as he looked safely from around Zoro. "Why'd _he_ get off so light when we're the ones usually laying in our own blood if we did that? Remember the Mushroom Incident of '04?"

"That's what I thought," Zoro murmured back.

Luffy looked at his turkey with confusion. "None of this is fish, you guys."

"So, Mr Law," Nami interrupted, chin on palm, "were you hoarding treasure where human eyes could not venture?"

Law picked up his fork again, using it to push at the gleaming stack of meat on his plate. _I don't need to answer that_ , he decided.

 _He is!_ Nami thought venomously, hand curling into fist.

"If you don't want it, give it to me," Luffy huffed, staring so intensely at him that Law instinctively covered his plate with one hand, recognizing possible thievery from another being. Surprised to feel that instinct as a human, he loaded the fork with a piece of meat, juices running from it back to his plate as he lifted his fork. He took a delicate bite, then quietly spat it back on his plate. Sanji made a peculiar noise, cup clattering back onto the table.

"I'll still eat it," Luffy offered.

"Perhaps something plain will fit your palate. After all, your taste buds have yet to adjust from the shock of the transition when you're used to one particular instinct," Robin offered, passing a smaller plate along the table until Brook set it down in front of Law. The runny red meat without the gleam caused Law to think that it fit the raw foods he'd normally consumed.

"That cow is still mooing," Franky whispered with immense distrust.

"Was that _my_ cow?" Ussop gasped with horror, covering his face with both hands. " _Betsy_?"

"I'd always told you she was a sweet baby," Robin said to him, causing him a gurgle.

"Wait…we didn't bring any cows," Jimbei said with concern.

"No, no! She carried a ton of luggage on board!" Ussop cried, hands in the air before clapping over his face. "BETSY!"

"Wait, does this mean no more ice cream?" Luffy asked with shock.

"More steak," Robin assured him.

Law tried it because his stomach yearned for something to fill it, and the thick smell and taste of blood caused his senses to be appeased. The taste didn't appeal the first few times he chewed, a tinge of something unnatural and slightly tangy coating his tastebuds. Human food wasn't as appealing as those eating it made it seem. He set his fork down with a heavily disappointed look. One of the men in white hastily removed his previous dish from in front of him. Law had to reflect that while his instincts were distrustful of 'human food'; something wasn't right, but he was sure it was the foreign taste that made his instincts sting.

His mouth and throat dry and in discomfort, he picked up the water glass and took a cautious sip. It tasted nothing like sea water – but it made his human body sing with joy. He drank all the contents with a sense of welcome relief, the man hastily refilling it. His stomach gurgled with the new items and he had to sit and reflect on the new sensations building inside of him.

"If you fart, you fart like a man," Brook whispered to him, Law's brow furrowing with confusion. The older man's mouth and chin was smeared with grease and clinging food crumbs. "Get to know your farts – some aren't just air, but definitely poop."

That struck Law with some horror – _I can't eliminate waste wearing clothes_ – and the fact that he'd have to explore more of his human body by asking more of these questions pressed urgently within the current noises of his thoughts.

"I'm tired of being human," he decided with finality, causing conversation to cease.

"Me and you both, buddy," Ussop said with relief.

"What are you really, 'Sop?" Luffy asked him with immense surprise, Zoro rolling his eyes with impatience.

"If I told you, I couldn't live here anymore," Ussop answered Luffy from the corner of his mouth, causing Luffy's mouth to drop open with amazement.

"Brook, what'd you say to him?" Nami asked darkly, the older man straightening his chair with surprise.

"I'm sorry," he apologized grandly to her, dark hair giving a gentle hand, "but sometimes conversation needs to stay between men to be polite."

"I don't trust you."

"Miss Nami," Sanji interrupted hurriedly, using his napkin to wipe his mouth and set aside. "Where did you find this boat?"

"Oh, yes, I borrowed it," she answered, holding a glass of wine to her lips. She gave him a wink and a gesture of her fingers. "And after some gentle persuasion, the crew was eager to work with me."

"She stole it," Zoro said flatly, laying down his fork. "Because all of the crew is trembling with fear whenever they speak to us."

"I didn't _threaten_ ," Nami said with exasperation. "I'm a _lady_ , I just gave them options."

"Serve, or be thrown overboard to the sharks," Robin said with a smile.

" _Options_."

"Nami, your stealing habits are quite impressive," Luffy said with a bewildered face, slamming his cup down. "Only you could steal whole boats with a crew already on them!"

"Don't complain. Where do you think your boat came from?"

" _GAH_! My conscience!"

" _You don't have one_!"

"I should've known," Zoro whispered, narrowing his eyes. Brook laughed merrily.

Nami scoffed, picking up her soup spoon and delicately blowing before tasting it. "What's going to happen? The boat police will find us in the middle of no where and take it back? I disabled all communication systems from it before we set out so we won't be graced with trouble."

Franky made a concerned expression. "Then how are we navigating these waters exactly?"

"By my hands."

"Oh… _god_ …"

"Oh, we're going to jail," Robin murmured.

"Not all of us!" Nami said with exasperation. She winked. "I'll break you guys out, somehow."

"I didn't survive all this trouble just to get thrown into jail _again_!" Zoro protested while Law tried to follow the conversation, relieved the attention wasn't on him.

"I'm sure we'll work out the details when it comes down to it," Sanji murmured with some doubt.

"We can _all_ swim," Nami scoffed.

"Except for me!" Luffy cried.

"Me, too, Luffy," Robin said with assurance. "If it comes down to it, we'll drown together."

"Oh, good, that's a great idea, Robin – NOT!"

"You guys aren't going to drown," Franky exclaimed. "There's plenty of boats on this thing to get us all to safety!"

"Once again, I am reminded of whom I willingly pledged my loyalty, to," Law heard Jimbei mutter from his end of the table, looking troubled.

"Where are we destined to land, Miss Nami?" Sanji then asked curiously.

"Somewhere away from town, that's for sure. We'll use this tub to every inch we can before allowing it to be returned," Nami replied.

"No one was following you?"

"How can they? These waters are practically owned by the Donquixote group, thus the lack of traffic out here."

Law looked up at the mention of the name, rubbing his head. "They own these waters?" he questioned. "No one owns life."

Some wore puzzled expressions, others wore discomforted ones. Sanji said gently, "Territory disputes are won with war tactics. This area can be owned by a country, but what she means to say is that…Doflamingo has made it possible to intimidate other users of these waters to avoid using it as to not interrupt his fleet. Thus, we are following the route knowing that we won't be bothered."

Law wasn't sure what any of those words meant, but the mention of territory disputes was something he did understand. He had to remind himself humans had very different meanings of these things in terms of groups.

"Though," Nami added, wine to her lips once more, "if we _were_ spotted, we'd have to make a hasty getaway to avoid being pirated and you discovered."

"I'm sure I won't be identified right away," Sanji said with confidence.

Ussop barked out a laugh. "Which world do you live in?"

"Yeah, Nami, didn't you notice he was a whole different person when you saw him?" Luffy mentioned with a guffaw, slapping the table while Sanji snarled at him.

"…No?" Nami answered, clearly confused.

"Of course, if needs be, we could commandeer another ship by force to maintain our stealth," Jimbei said with confidence.

"A fight would be nice," Zoro said, perking up.

"Wear their skin to bypass detection," Robin murmured with interest, Franky looking at her with horror.

"Who are we fighting?" Brook asked curiously. "I shall have to stretch extensively for this, as I am an old, ancient man…."

"I could get into a fight," Franky said cheerfully, cracking his knuckles.

"I don't want to fight! I'll die for sure!" Ussop complained. "But, not to say that I won't race to anyone's aid to be hero of the day! I could save us all, I've proved this, many times…"

" _When_?" Zoro asked him with incredulity. "It was us saving you all this time!"

Nami hit the table with impatience. "No one said anything about fighting! We haven't even seen another ship in the past week!"

"Aw, man, I wanted to fight," Luffy murmured with disappointment, lowering his turkey leg.

Jimbei gave a morose sigh, head lowered as Nami growled, looking at each disappointed face in turn. Law stared at them with absolute confusion, knowing that they were not talking about fighting for their lives as he would in the sea; but he couldn't make out the joy and humor in it as their rapid attitudes suggested.

"We're completely side tracked from the bigger picture," Jimbei then said, reaching up to smooth a rather large hand over his tight ponytail. The robes he wore were so vividly colored that it seemed to sparkle – the difference between his robes and Nami's dresses made him wonder about the types of material used to clothe both. When in the sea, material was easily destroyed before he had a chance to fully explore the differences. "This…merman…was changed from sea creature to man. What was the purpose in that, Vin-Blackleg?"

"That's the other part of the tale," Sanji said, looking pleased at the deliberate name change.

"So, we're calling him 'Blackleg', now… _that's_ what we're going to do?" Ussop asked Luffy from behind one hand.

"Yeah. Should've been Monkey so we could be brothers," Luffy said bitterly.

"Sanji _Monkey_!" Ussop laughed before clapping his other hand over his mouth. Both of them froze when Sanji directed a fearsome stare their way, Robin hastily lifting a cup to her lips to keep her mouth from reacting as well.

"A series of events pins Law to Mr Donquixote," Sanji answered seriously. "Apparently…his younger brother, Rocinante, was a merman as well. Rocinante adopted Law to hide from Doflamingo, who was searching for him. Still is to this day. Perhaps the Orbit was deliberately sunk to catch Law's attention in order to flush him out from the depths of this tumultuous sea."

"Mr Monkey," Zoro interrupted, hand raised as Sanji slammed down his napkin in response to the name, "if Mr Donquxiote knew Law existed in that particular area, then he knew what he was doing when he made sure you were on that ship. Isn't that a little suspicious?"

"He obviously took some payment from my family to do so. But the main question is, how did Mr Donquxiote know that Law existed in that particular area?"

"Corazon was killed in that sea," Law stated. "A couple of years after coming into my company, he decided to seek his brother out for whatever reason, and it ended in his death."

"But that's a huge swath of territory, and you're a smaller fish in comparison to that size," Nami said with a puzzled tilt of her head. "So how could he know that dropping Mr Blackleg into that area would draw you out?"

"Something's fishy about this," Ussop muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Again, Ussop, there's no fish served here on these plates," Luffy said, looking confused.

"This is a joke that needs to stop," Franky told them both. "This is serious, you guys. Holy mackerel, get your heads on straight."

"Thank cod you're here to keep them on task," Brook said, milk replenished.

"Mr Donquixote knows how to keep his anemonies close," Robin said with a troubled look.

"Don't trout yourself," Ussop told her, "because this was very orchestrated."

"Like tuna!" Luffy cried, laughing while the others gave him blank expressions.

Law was aware that they were speaking humorously, but their tones and faces as they named different types of fish suggested that they were serious.

"Oh my lord in heaven," Nami muttered, rubbing her temples. "You lot give me a serious headache. Good thing I brought enough laudanum to…never mind."

"You're krilling me as well," Brook complained.

"Let minnow when you guys decide to get serious about someone else's life," Jimbei said sternly. It took several seconds before most of those at the table struggled to keep their expressions straight while Sanji's face turned purplish red and Law remained clueless.

" _This is serious_!" Sanji then barked, hitting the table with one fist. "This is his life or death situation, and you're all treating it like it is a joke to him!"

"We apologize," Robin said first to Law. "But you've found the right people to help you."

"Count me out, that guy is rich," Ussop muttered.

"I'm going to take advantage of all his leftover riches," Nami murmured dreamily.

"Mr Donquixote most likely knew it was difficult to kill you," Robin then said to Sanji, "and that means he was well aware of Law's possible human fetishes."

"When you say it like that," Sanji said, beginning to sweat nervously, fiddling with his napkin. "It sounds suggestive."

"Hobby?"

"I did have a fascination for human watching," Law spoke up with a slightly puzzled look. "And Corazon did everything he could to discourage me, but it wasn't enough."

"He knew that aspect well. He wouldn't have known if his brother hadn't told him."

"Are you suggesting that he intended on betraying me? Why would a human want to steal…?" Law then paused, recalling his own webbed hands on Sanji's injuries, soothing them away. At the silence casted on the table, he then asked, "Is he a wounded man?"

"No, just a very ambitious one," Sanji answered.

"Why would he hunt you, Mr Law?" Jimbei asked curiously. "All this time?"

"I'm kinda tired," Luffy then said to Ussop, who was in the midst of a yawn. Brook was already with his arms folded across his chest, chin down as he snored lightly.

"Must've ate too much," Ussop chided Luffy, who pushed his plate aside to dump his head atop of his arms.

"I wasn't aware of it until Ivankov pointed it out, but humans can benefit from my touch," Law stated slowly. "I can hurt other merfolk with it, but humans…it is spoken down there that humans hunt merfolk out of fear or to thieve from them their…beauty. Which, now I understand is power. Corazon kept many things from me back then. I was a child."

"Doflamingo destroyed his underwater village some years ago, searching for him," Sanji then said, Law looking at him with a start. "Ivankov told us of this before it changed you, Law. So, he was aware that Law had some ability that could benefit him."

"Those pools and moats around his palace now say a lot," Franky said with discomfort. "I used to think they were pieces of art, but perhaps they were actually tanks for…for these people."

Robin shuddered. "What a ghastly man."

Nami struggled to keep her eyelids up, and once she caught herself, she quickly set her wine glass aside. "Probably drank a little too much," she whispered to Zoro, who was covering his mouth with one hand, yawning as quietly as he could.

"You've been on his property?" Sanji asked Franky with surprise.

"You have, too!"

"That was different! We were kept in appropriate rooms during our visits! I don't know of these 'tanks'!"

"They were big tanks," Franky verified before releasing a yawn, "and filled with creatures from the sea, including coral and rocks and - ! But built in a way that had them with iron bars at the tops. He said to prevent his own groundskeepers from stealing the animals, but looking back on it now, I…I think they were actually cells. I worked briefly upon that estate as a craftsman," Franky explained to Law. "Wood work. I was hired before I met these guys to repair his multiple water craft, some ground work he needed done to his various property. That's my knowledge of him. Nothing more. _Super_ rich guy – I hated him. He was super creepy."

"Why is everyone so sleepy?" Jimbei muttered, looking at those sleeping at the table with confusion.

"Because you are a prince," Law asked Sanji before Sanji hastily corrected him with, "' _Was'_. Was a prince."

"…You had access to his…estate as well?"

Sanji covered his mouth, capturing a yawn. He glanced at Zoro, who was snoring rather noisily against Nami's chair while the woman combatted heavy eyelids, struggling to focus on the conversation. Robin wore a grim expression, looking at her friends while reaching for the water pitcher nearby.

"As I've mentioned, our families dealt a lot with each other on various topics. I did visit. Unfortunately, I don't know enough of him personally to have thought that he was a hunter of exotic variety."

"A person with your talents can keep a human alive for an extended period of time, if your life expectancy is different from a normal humans'," Robin mentioned as she poured herself some water. "With the way he expanded his world, it certainly looks as if he'd grown greedy, and sought a way to become immortal."

"It only works if I want it to," Law stated. "Not upon outside command. When he took pieces of Corazon with him, it would do him no good to have. If we die, we die as sea scum. Our lives in pieces do not grant anyone under the sea magical purpose."

"That you know of."

Law made to answer, but realized he couldn't because he didn't know the answer.

 _Where is his tail?_ He heard his young self cry out with horror and shock.

"Nami," Jimbei then said with a grave frown, "to whom did you steal this boat from?"

Nami yawned noisily, covering her mouth to do so hastily. "A vacationing family that had intended on sailing the pond towards another continent."

"It was a very easy task," Jimbei then said with worry, glancing over their heads towards the servants' entrance to their left. Almost all of them came to a conclusion that had every person stilling with apprehension.

"He knew you'd find Law for him, Sanji," Robin then stated, "and he put into the motion that we'd come for you."

"I've not said a word about any of you to anyone on board the ships I've worked on," Sanji said with worry, eyes suddenly heavy with exhaustion. "I couldn't possibly, considering my family's background…"

Law looked to Sanji, his face carefully blank. Sanji kept his perfectly set, but he sat stiffly in his chair.

"We'll just have to find the right answers as they come," Sanji then decided, picking up his knife and fork, cutting through the meat on his plate. But his movements were sloppy, Law noticed. "But now you're aware of the situation as it is. I'm pretty sure Mr Donquixote doesn't know what Law looks like – if he did, I'm sure he would have found him long ago."

"He is under our protection?" Robin asked, setting her empty cup aside. Franky was in a near position as Brook, but his head was tilted back against the back of his chair, mouth wide open.

"Naturally. Until he decides he wants to return."

"Humans," Law murmured, unable to hide the distaste from his tone, "aren't as strong as we are. And you're not even considering the fact that Corazon's brother is a merfolk as well – if he is, he is stronger, faster, and more powerful than you lot put together. Your 'protection' means nothing to me. This wasn't my choice to have in the first place. I was fine where I was."

"And yet, here you are," Robin stated.

"Shall we get rid of the servants?" Jimbei asked, lowering his cup to the table. "We can't have them relaying any messages back to the mainland to alert their boss whom we have in our company."

"What do you mean exactly? 'Get rid of'?" Sanji asked before turning his focus to the ceiling. He blinked heavily, absently dropping his fork and knife. "Excuse me, I think my exhaustion just caught up to me…"

Robin turned to Jimbei. "Toss them overboard. It'll be some time before they are discovered, if they weren't already eaten, of course."

"Wait, what'd they do?" Sanji asked, bewildered. He looked at the others to realize that a majority of them were sleeping in their chairs. "Oh…heavens…"

Law thought this behavior was normal of them – it was instinct to fall asleep after eating a large meal, and most of them had been cramming food into their moving mouths like greedy fish. But he finally noticed their grim urgency on the faces of those that were still awake.

"They're the enemy, Sanji."

Law watched as Sanji slumped forward, nearly slapping cheek to plate.

"Oh, before it's digested, you shall dig at least one finger into your throat," Robin advised, pushing away from the table. "Perhaps the reason why you couldn't eat our food was your natural instinct detecting deception, Law. Excuse me, gentlemen."

"What's happening?" Law asked Jimbei, utterly confused as the woman quickly made her way from her chair, leaving behind others that were sleeping soundly in theirs.

"We were lulled into a trap. We'll return in a few minutes. Please watch over our friends," Jimbei said, rising from his chair and walking stoically away, leaving through the same door as Robin had.

Looking at the sleeping people around him, Law was left in mystified silence.

: :

The Tangerine Dream creaked and moaned with movement. But Law could no longer hear activity from moving feet or voices, and was standing at one of the rounded windows for quite some time when he realized this. The table was cluttered with abandoned plates, cups and half eaten food, but no servant ever reappeared since the last time he'd seen them. The people he'd just met were sleeping soundly, without gaining any comfortable positions to do so. Because their snores rattled the air, he felt confident that this sleep was only that; nothing dangerous.

From the window, the night gave him dark waters with slightly white caps, but the boat rocked as it pushed through them with strength. He realized it was slowing as his bare feet told him that something was happening. The hard silence was unnerving to Law, but his mind was roiling with confusing thoughts.

Doflamingo had known he was out here; but why send his own brother to find Law in the first place? What was valuable about him?

Upon all this new weight, his confusion was hot and angry because Corazon had told him _nothing_.

All this time Law valued the memory of the accident prone merman, but now…now it felt like he was reviewing the memory of a complete and utter stranger. And these new things coming out from the mouths of literal strangers…? Felt overwhelming and frightening.

 _I'm supposed to confront him? What if this were but another trap set by these humans, and I'd been set up?_ Law thought with chilling heaviness. He turned to face the kitchen, and slowly made his way to that swinging door. The area was vivid with color, with full trashcans and a full sink. The air lingered with cooked food and there was a large slab of raw meat on a cutting board abandoned near a stove with empty pans. The smell of the raw meat made his nose twitch. As a merman, he'd swim right for it and eat – now it produced a level of disgust from his mid-section.

There was another doorway to his right that drew his attention, and he moved in that direction. He opened out into the main corridor, which was softly lit with similar sconces as those in the bathroom. The craft popped and moaned with movement, but he felt it in his gut – it was slowing in its movement, as if it had suddenly lost power. Moving down the path he was familiar with, Law strained his ears to hear something from the pair that had left him behind. He found the main hall – with all its paintings, and looked over lavish rugs, bolted furniture, what looked like a fishing pole laying in the middle of one rug near an open doorway.

 _Toilet_ , he thought to himself, thinking of Corazon's words for the bathroom. _Where humans expel their waste directly into the bowl and pull the lever up above it to flush. It all goes to the ocean._

He looked up the staircases that curved up and away from him to the higher levels – one of those stairways he'd taken with Sanji. The other went to places he had yet to explore. It was unsual not to hear a thing; especially from a group that seemed to radiate noise.

He began moving up the staircase that he wasn't familiar with, to face a large hallway that were opened rooms. The silence was deafening. Two of these rooms were outfitted with lounge chairs, plants, soft curtains that were pulled over large windows that must be open over the deck below. The others had cots that were already claimed with messy beds, shoes and boots tossed underneath, suitcases leaning against the cot legs.

As he returned to the main level with a puzzled expression, a loud _whomp_! caught his attention. It came from below his feet, metallic shrieks occurring moments later. Unsure of how to get down there, Law ventured his way around the area until he found an outside door. The cold sea breeze hit him like a slap, and he winced. But he walked over to the railing and looked down. His suspicion about the ship was true – it was slowing to a stop. Immense bubbling began to rise from his left, and he had to bend over the railing for a closer squint. From the dark waters, too dark for him to see underneath, something caused the water to swirl and bubble with movement.

 _Ivankov_?

Instead, it was Kidd that peered out, blowing water from his mouth.

"Are you lost?"

Kidd looked up at him with a jerk, startled at the sound of Law's voice. "Is that you?"

"It is."

"…You've got legs."

"I do. And you're sinking my ship."

"…You're a fool."

"Are you sinking it out of spite, or is this a side job of yours?"

"Where are the humans on this ship?"

Law didn't answer, because at this point, who was he to trust?

Kidd brushed his hair back, his coloring allowing him to camouflage within the dark waters of the sea. But his teeth were brilliant against his darkly colored lips and his eyes seemed to glow with soft light. His strong shark tail beat against the water as his one arm lowered back to the water. He looked towards Law, but it was obvious his vision was just as terrible, because his face pulled with a squint.

"Guess I'm helping ya see the light of your mistakes," he said. "You can't trust humans, nor their pretty words. Haven't you found that out, yet?"

"I have a mission I'd like to complete."

"Come back to the water, Law. It's where we belong."

"Again. Are you sinking this ship out of spite or…" Law trailed off. "How are we speaking to each other? Ivankov's words were nothing but noise when I was turned."

Kidd's grin was obvious. "That's my secret to keep. Come back."

"I trust no one but my own. And I want to stay."

"On a sinking ship?"

"I'll find my way to where I need to go. These humans have been quite convenient with their talks of destiny and luck."

"I'll sink their boats, too."

"You were human, before, weren't you? What was your experience?"

Kidd glared at him, lowering back into the water for a breath before emerging. "I am the way I am because of it. Ya wanna come back looking like me? You keep doing what you're doing. Humans have one use for us, Law, and I found that out the hard way. They don't care about your feelings, they don't care what you think. That you even have thoughts or feelings!"

"…Who hurt you?"

The sharkman hit the side of the ship with his one fist, giving a growl. Law heard movement behind him, and he turned to look. A bloodied body slammed down in the deck behind him, causing him to jerk back against the railing with surprise. Considering the white of his clothes, the servant had met a bad end. He looked up to see Robin smiling down at him, hands behind her back. She then stepped out of his view, and Law was left wondering whether or not he felt endangered or warned.

"All you have to do is give up your heart," Kidd continued to speak. "Give up being human. That'll break the curse of that damn kraken."

"I almost felt like giving in due to the meal I was served, but…I think I'll go as far as I need to in order to satisfy a near lifelong curiosity."

"Not on this sinking ship!"

"Heave ho!"

Law looked over to see Jimbei heaving a couple of bodies over the railing. The splashes they made were sound, and Jimbei caught sight of Law with a greeting smile.

"We're almost done, here," he said, approaching the man and looking over. But Kidd had sunk out of sight, Law finding it near impossible to spot him from above. "The ship was sabotaged to stop, but Franky and Ussop are a master at repairs. Once they awake, they will make the necessary repairs. If we should stay here until morning, we will be located by those that may be looking for us."

"And if we are found?"

"We've had plenty of close calls before," Jimbei said assuredly. "But we always find a way out of them. Have some confidence in us."

"It's not confidence that I have in your actions. My purpose is my own. However I get to Doflamingo Donquixote, I shall speak to him of his actions. Even if that means you all are removed."

"You seem like a calloused individual that has no regards to others," Jimbei said slowly, "but if we are removed, do you think you'll be allowed to return here?"

Law thought of his long ago colony. "No," he answered truthfully.

"Life is worth living." Jimbei then turned and left him, walking back to where he'd come from.

Kidd emerged from the waters, his mouth bloody as his teeth crunched and chewed. Law didn't have to wonder about what he was eating, but he did wear a disgusted frown. "Told ya. Humans are tasty when they were afraid," Kidd said nastily, grinning. "Maybe if you try them as a human yourself, you'll get a different result."

"If you somehow see my friends, please tell them where I am," Law said.

"Maybe they were removed by your human friends. Humans love to hunt and eat animals. How do you know they aren't planning to eat you, too?"

"Why are you following this ship and destroying it, Kidd?"

Kidd smirked at him. But he sank underneath the waves, water churning. The tip of his tail smacked against the surface. Law wore a heavy frown, unable to understand why the sharkman was doing what he was doing. He looked up at the stars, hugging himself.

: :

"Our friends have been drugged to sleep for sometime, and unfortunately, we have no idea how long," Robin reported gravely. She wore a body hugging black dress, pulling a cape over her shoulders as she joined him outside. "The men need to make hasty repairs to the ship. If they can't repair the ship, we will have to use the smaller boats to flee. The crew was, indeed, hired under false pretenses to lure us into one of Donquixote's ship's paths to be found."

"And you all are not in on it, Miss Robin?"

"Of course not. We're all individually wanted," she said carefully, "and it makes no sense to band together to pose a threat to someone such as yourself. Our mutual connection happens to be Sanji."

"Who is never clear with me."

"If you'd dare, you'd understand that I'm the most dangerous amongst them all," she said lightly. "I've assassinated with calculation many human beings for my own reasons. Nami steals. Ussop lies. Zoro and Luffy fish. Franky pounds wood. Brook uses experience to keep us afloat. Jimbei travels to avoid detection for his own reasons. Sanji refuses to be a prince. All of us wanted for our own crimes."

"And yet, none of you have nothing to do with Donquixote."

"No. We're drawn into the situation by proxy, and we'll see it through. Then sail to another destination without a prince, and perhaps a fish."

"Mr Blackleg will be left behind?"

"He is no longer a prince. He is dead." She exhaled low, adjusting the cape around her shoulders. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the gentleman in the water, there. My victim's death rattle wasn't loud enough to prevent me from hearing it. Truthfully, your detachment in both conversation and your lack of emotion suggest a different world than what we're used to. Your world sounds cold and impersonal."

"None of us had reason for…outbursts."

"Yet…" she trailed off, looking at him meaningfully before turning away, "you decided to follow a human onboard."

"I was forced to."

"You weren't forced to rescue him, either."

Law gave her back a puzzled look as she drifted back into the nearby doorway, light illuminating the deck before being swallowed up by the darkness with the door behind closed behind her. He looked back out at the stars with a frown.

 _Are we somehow connected?_ he thought with bewilderment. _Or was this yet another ploy with clandestine secrets attached? Or a memory I have yet to connect? My memories are spotty, I admit, but I'd remember that human if we'd ever interacted, before. I'd remember his eyes._

While he was outside, the pair had taken their friends to their rooms, rather than allowing them to continue sleeping in their awkward positions. Law thought about the urgency in Robin's tone, the grim finality in Jimbei's, and approached Luffy first. The kid was snoring noisily over his pillows, drool running from the side of his mouth.

He couldn't imagine how a human could overtake a merfolk, but this one was responsible for making Ivankov bleed. He reached out, puzzled by the strength of his own intention and his own ability. Once he set his hand on the kid's mid-section, he felt the warmth of his power open and spread like hot air around them. Nothing like the electrifying touch he'd been used to with Sanji. Drawing his hand back, Luffy suddenly snorted himself awake, blinking wide eyes with surprise once he saw Law standing over him.

"Holy moley," he wheezed, hand to his chest as he sat up. "You scared the living daylights out of me. Looking all menacing in the dark."

Law frowned at him. "You're welcome."

"Why are you thanking me for that?"

"That's how it is," Robin murmured from behind them, lifting her eyebrows. It occurred to Law at that moment that she was watching him. The sensation of being observed by a _predator_ made him a little bristly. "A touch."

"Yeah, I could go for seconds!" Luffy said eagerly, rising up with a bounce in his step.

"I'm afraid not, Luffy. We were tricked. The food is useless. The crew is gone – they jumped ship. Could you awake Ussop and Franky, good sir?" Robin then asked Law while Luffy wore a bewildered expression. "The repairs to the boat should be made quickly."

"'Tricked'?" Luffy cried in shock. "What do you mean, _tricked_?"

"Everyone was drugged, Luffy. That's why you fell asleep."

"…Here I thought it was just a food coma. I ate so much – oop. There it is. Digestion. Went straight through me. Excuse me, ladies, but a man must find relief in his most private of places."

Robin wore a disgusted look, her mouth tight as Luffy waddled off, singing to himself. Law had the thought that such an expression was new to a face that barely shifted, but once she caught herself, the disgust was quickly dropped. She looked to him, and Law shuffled off to find Franky and Ussop.

: :

Morning came sooner than expected. Robin and Law watched from the back deck as the ominous shape of a ship made itself known in the horizon. The Tangerine Dream was already back in motion, steadily gaining speed forward. Franky and Ussop's voices were urgent in the quiet awakening of a new day, their tools loud. Luffy laughed noisily from somewhere in the front, Jimbei's flustered voice calling out from the top deck.

 _Humans stab each other in the back_ , Law reflected grimly. _Poisoning each other at the direction of someone else. And yet humans trust others wholeheartedly to look after them_. _While merfolk survive at their instinct and work only on the conditions that they can coexist near each other._

Merfolk did not usually live so animated. Not like these humans.

He then wore a startled look. _Corazon was animated_ , he thought. _More so than I could stomach. Was that his human aspect?_

"If only we had a doctor," he heard Robin mutter to herself. He glanced back at her. "I'll put that suggestion into their heads. The drug should have worn off by now. I could hear Nami heaving from our room."

"You both ate the same food," Law said. His voice felt heavy. He hadn't yet slept, but didn't feel the need to just yet. Sometimes, he'd swim for hours, into days, before he allowed himself to rest. His human body was betraying him in that aspect; he could feel exhaustion creeping in everywhere in this new form.

"I had my suspicions," Robin said. "Oil. Enough to coat the stomach for easier expellation. Jimbei's reasons are his own."

Robin made Law uneasy, but he could read eyes. And hers sparkled when she looked at her friends. He turned and made his way back inside, the sight of the ship in the horizon steadily growing stronger as the sun made it's presence known above them.

He did hear Nami retching from one of the bigger rooms, Zoro crossly hollering at her to 'shut up!' Their shouts exhausted Law. Both of them were moving about, clearly alive; Brook was sipping from a steaming cup, outfitted in strange finery, black hat atop of black hair.

"Good morning! Sleep well?" Brook asked him cheerfully, causing Law to wonder if the man was affected in any way. The man's skin stretched so thinly over his skeletal structure that it made Law think the man was a living skeleton. "I happened to fall asleep at the table. Bad habit. Happens when you're nearly dead."

"You were poisoned, Mr Bones."

" _Rude_. I might look dead, but I'm not just yet. Please, you may call me 'Brook'. And the poison wasn't strong enough," Brook murmured, cup to lips. "I was well aware of what was happening. I chose to remain behind to watch over the younger ones while the others set about to protect us."

Law was pretty sure the older man was as dead asleep as the others, but the confidence in his voice made him doubt himself. The feeling that he'd detected predators in the darkness rang through him. He nodded and continued on, bare feet padding over the hard floor. He saw Sanji sitting at the edge of his bed, wearing a frustrated look while he smoked. He'd removed his tie and jacket, both items sitting on the duvet with a sense of untidiness. He looked at Law with a frown, sitting up.

The light of the room, combined with his already acknowledged feelings made Law grumpy. The human was disgustingly pleasing to his eyes. Maybe it was the way Sanji wore his clothes, maybe it was the way he was gleaming with cleaned and groomed skin; whichever, his eyes were obviously blue in the morning light, and his hair a softly glowing golden blonde. Colors that made him vibrant. They were interrupted last night night; Law still felt hot, physical yearning for him. Things that made him feel even worse, despite the situations around them. His mood turned immediately foul.

"What an ugly way to be deceived," Sanji muttered with disgust, fiddling with the buttons at his neck. "Pouring their lies into food like that."

"Mr Blackleg, your friends are…" Law trailed off, unsure of what word to use to describe them. "Both lively and deceptive."

"You're still angry at me? Oh well. I'm thankful to be in their company. Good God, man, you look exhausted. Were you up all night?"

"I only sleep when I have to, _Mr_ Blackleg."

"Maybe as a fish that would be okay, but as a human, you must take care of yourself. Perhaps you should take a nap while I go see what's causing all that noise - !"

"Mr Blackleg, Kidd was the cause of the ship's ruin."

Sanji paused, cigarette between fingers. "Why that guy?"

"He won't say, _Mr Blackleg._ "

Sanji grit his teeth with annoyance, and Law continued to feel angry and distrustful because the human caused all sorts of different emotions in him regardless of his thoughts. "He was human once, wasn't he?"

"It left him scarred, Mr Blackleg, so I assume that his time as human was an unpleasant one."

"So maybe he hates us. Understandable."

"But we are out of his territory, Mr Blackleg." Law turned away from him, noticing a slim doorway nearby. He opened it to reveal a near empty closet, save for a hard suitcase set against the wall. After examining it, he approved of the space it gave. It was narrow and dark, reminding him of a cave.

"Don't tell me you plan on sleeping there, when there is plenty of beds to choose from in here."

"Predators, Mr Blackleg. And this boat is full of them."

"Will you stop addressing me like that?"

"I apologize profoundly, Mr Blackleg."

 _Ooh, you're such a shitty child despite your shitty manly appearance,_ Sanji thought, visible eye twitching. _Wretchedly good looking piece of shit child_ …

"How long have you known this Kidd?" Sanji rose from the bed, setting his jacket and tie aside on a chair nearby. He pulled most of the sheets and duvet into his arms, pushing past Law to lay them down on the floor. He then retrieved the pillow, smacking Law in the chest with it. "Childhood? Adulthood?"

Law sniffed the pillow, as it seemed to plume with something he'd never smelled before. Then he thought about the question. It startled him to realize that he wasn't sure when he'd met Kidd – they just seemed to run into each other randomly through life, clashing whenever possible. The sharkman was always tempestuous and always had one arm.

Time moved differently under the water. _What the hell was he doing with his life?_

For the first time, Law started to think that taking the chance to become human was an adventurous one to break up that monotony.

"Think out loud, stupid fish," Sanji muttered, smoking morosely. "Quit leaving me in mid-sentence."

"Mr Blackleg, how would this Doflamingo think to use you to lure me out into the open?" Law asked instead.

Sanji wore a stumped expression, shaking his head. "I don't know. I've traveled this route numerous times without anything extraordinary happening to lead me to say anything. The myths and tales I've heard were from the mouths of others…from books. And yet…now it feels that I've been some sort of pawn in some game I wasn't aware of playing. And I understand if you don't trust me, but…I'm just as stumped as you are."

"You willingly withhold what doesn't seem appropriate _for the moment_ , Mr Blackleg," Law stressed. "So perhaps a loose mouth is necessary from this moment on."

"Fair," Sanji agreed, looking at him. He finished his cigarette, moving away to stamp it out in an ashtray atop of one of the end tables. "Though nothing stands out at this moment to even answer my own shitty questions."

There was a thick book underneath a melted candle near the bed. Law watched him pick it up, stare at it for a few moments, then open a drawer of the end table to tuck it in.

"As a man formerly of faith," Sanji said quietly, "these things that were only stories were only in relation to an underworld created for those that lacked their faith in something bigger. But you're living proof of everything opposite I believed in. That man said nothing of these tales. He lightly spoke of church and faith like it were…an afterthought. But he didn't make me doubt. How could he have chosen someone like me to find you?"

Considering the human's words and actions the very first time Law met him, the words of his friends in relation to his faith, Law had to admit that this wasn't a lie. Sanji truly believed in something bigger, and had somehow resolved that within himself to let Law in, to disregard his lifelong teachings.

"Nothing fantastical ever happened in my life, Law, to make me believe that people like you were real. Only miracles existed, but I wasn't witness to those, either." Hands on his hips, Sanji then nodded. "I guess if we should ever see him, we shall ask for these answers."

"Mr Blackleg, did he ever make you think he was…affectionate of you?"

Sanji growled with impatience at the continued and deliberate addressing of his name, but he ran a hand through his hair as he settled his already frazzled nerves.

"He once mentioned that I reminded him of his younger brother…but it was said lightly, without weight. That was the first time I'd heard the name 'Rocinante'. He made it sound like his brother was still alive…but I was too selfish to venture into that realm, to press for any answers. I never gave it thought." Sanji then looked to Law. "Do I remind you of him?"

Law didn't answer. But he did avert his eyes to the side with an uncomfortable look.

Sanji sighed noisily, picking up his tie. "Then there's the answer we were seeking."

"Not on sight," Law said. "But…sometimes, your touch…"

Sanji looked at him with revulsion, slinging on his jacket. He then left the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

Law had the feeling he'd insulted the other man, and was confused as to how. Then he thought about what they did underwater, and shrugged in the silence of the room.

"Not like _that,_ Mr Blackleg _,_ " he muttered, stepping into the closet and shutting the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I had an unfortunate accident that I'm too embarrassed to talk about and that was why I hadn't updated; I had this chapter up and ready to go, but it needed some finishing touches.**

**Shadow: 9**

* * *

The incoming ship steamed its way over the sea's horizon like a menacing animal. That afternoon, the group of them watched it approach, watching as it revealed itself as an iron ship, coating the sky with its steam. Lowering his binoculars, Jimbei gave a sigh.

"It's a Donquixote ship," he stated. "And the crew isn't light on number."

"Ussop," Robin said, the man jerking at the sound of his name. He was biting at his nails with agitation, crouched down so Luffy could sit on him with his own looking glass – that he was looking through backwards – and Nami was shivering with fear, hugging her umbrella. "You made sure to load everything I'd requested?"

"Robin, _please_ , I can't be talking about your luggage right now, not when we're facing certain death!" he sobbed, Law looking at him with concern. "I did, though."

"Another cow?" Luffy asked her, Zoro snatching the looking glass from him to turn it around. But Luffy had lost interest in it, so Nami took it for herself with a whimper.

"There's so many men on board!" she reported with a gasp. " _Why_ so many? Our ship is _puny_ compared to that one! How did they find us that quick out here?"

Robin remained impassive, her dark hair fluttering around her shoulders. Franky snapped his fingers, looking at her with approval.

"Milady, _that's_ why you asked me if I were experienced in certain areas!" he exclaimed with a chuckle. "Here, I thought you were just hitting on me."

"Will my face ever match my tone?" Robin wondered aloud with trouble, her expression reflecting a lack of emotion that could explain her tone and causing Franky immense confusion.

"Zoro, have you looked over the luggage I'd brought upon your request?" Jimbei asked the green haired man, who was fanning himself with a new black fisherman's hat.

"I have, thank you, 'preciate it," Zoro said, smiling.

"What do you lot have planned?" Sanji asked curiously, dashing ashes over the railing. He was standing downwind of them so that he could smoke.

"It's the sea," Brook answered calmly, holding his top hat in place. "Out here, there aren't any rules if there aren't any witnesses in place to testify."

"You may wait below deck while the situation is resolved, your highness," Zoro said to Sanji, bowing to him. Sanji snarled at him.

"What does that mean?" Law asked Brook, seeing that everyone understood what was happening, but their cryptic words were moving right over his head. He could feel the tension, understand through the three cowering against the railing that this was an intense situation, but the others were calm and collected to a point where their confidence felt more assuring to cling to.

"We'll do whatever it takes to protect this ship, and its occupants," Jimbei said stiffly. "But should we not succeed, and considering the approaching ship's threat, we shall arm this vehicle and use it as a welcoming gesture."

Law thought of Nami holding her hand out, expecting him to do something with it. He thought of their greetings at the dinner table. Seeing he was clearly lost, Luffy said brightly, "We're gonna ram it with a bomb!"

"A bomb," Ussop whispered with stark realization. To Robin, he screeched, "I had no idea you were carrying explosives!"

"Oops," Robin replied with a bright smile, causing Ussop immense distress.

"What's a bomb?" Law asked.

"KA _BOOM_!"

"Think of fire," Sanji told Law, throwing his cigarette over the railing and standing next to him. "Only a hundred times more brilliant and stronger, resulting in a bright, durable bang of sound and force capable of sinking that thing to the sea floor."

"I suppose I'll have to see it to understand it," Law murmured, unable to picture fire being worse than what he'd witnessed of the Orbit.

"They sent a near army to apprehend you," Robin said to Law, her blue eyes widening ever so slightly. "Aren't you concerned?"

"An army is a militarized group, usually armed with guns and weapons," Sanji explained hastily upon seeing Law's blank expression.

Watching the steam color the air, Law reviewed his memories of the things Corazon showed him. None of those words stood out, so he furrowed his brow. "I suppose these things are things that humans hurt each other with, yes? Why the very mention of it inspires fear in you fools…how am I supposed to share your fear when I don't know what the fuck you're even speaking of?"

They looked at him with disbelieving stares, Robin's face even falling slightly before they all looked at each other. Luffy stood straight, looking at Law with firm conviction.

"We must protect the fishman at all costs," he said decisively, his expression serious. "He is obviously stupider than I am."

Law snarled at him, causing him to laugh.

"Well, it's understandable," Brook said hastily, trying to reassure Law. "The world underneath us has no grasp of what we humans have built to destroy each other."

"The only sort of combat he has seen is self-defense against other merfolk," Sanji said quickly, hand on Law's shoulder. "He is not a weakling. Physical strength is no problem for him. He could probably throw this boat onto that one."

" _I don't throw boats_ ," Law said with exasperation, knocking his hand away. He looked over at the steam that clouded the air, the ship growing in size as it approached rapidly. Considering what he'd just been told, he was positive he could assist. But it started to sink in that such a big craft, with a large number of dangerous individuals, were _that_ desperate to get to him; an individual that had no clue what importance he held to someone he didn't even meet.

Luffy patted his arm. "Don't worry your pretty little head. As a man, I will take this responsibility seriously."

"You're not a man," Ussop said warily, looking at him. "You're barely older than I am."

" _Haah_? Ussop? You want to warm us up with a fight?"

" _Haah_? Should I demonstrate my might right now?"

Nami hit them both with her umbrella before holding it back at her shoulder. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, turning away from the railing while they cowered and whimpered, hands on their wounds.

"I'm going to go count my money," she muttered. "Maybe this problem will _magically_ go away when I return."

"You should all prepare at least one craft to haul our things just in the event that we lose this ship," Robin suggested, turning away to walk in the other direction. Zoro and Brook followed her, saying nothing at all.

"I estimate that we have three hours to prepare," Franky said, shielding his eyes from the sun. His hand then went to his strong chin, stroking thoughtfully. He swatted Ussop on the shoulder, indicating that he follow. "C'mon, man, I'm going to need your help. We've got _super_ amazing things down there that we can use."

"Please tell me it's enough to fight at least fifty men!"

"Nah, we're just going to rig the boat up as a bomb because there's no way all of us can fight a thousand men…"

"A _thousand_ …? I counted _at least_ 86 just on deck!"

"Then it's obvious you can't count."

"Orchestrated," Luffy mumbled, frowning at the iron ship while his friends' voices faded away. He looked to Sanji, who was pulling out another cigarette from his inside jacket pocket. "That big of a craft for _one_ guy. A merguy. You don't bust out the brass knuckles for an easy meal, Sanji, you bust them out because you're outnumbered and scared!"

"I don't use my fists to fight, so I don't know that analogy…"

Luffy looked at Law as if he'd seen him for the first time, then jerked away from the man. "Are you a god of the sea? Man fears gods more than they fear death!"

Sanji looked alarmed.

Gaping at Law, Luffy danced from foot to foot. " _You_ should be defending _us_!"

"Don't fall into the water," Law advised. "There's a creature lurking down there that has had a taste of human flesh."

"Well, that's a godly thing to do," Luffy conceded, "warning us of trouble before we actually get into trouble…"

" _Kidd,_ " Sanji then said with a start, lowering his cigarette. "He has a grudge – talking about being mistreated, talking about how humans deceive you – sharks can travel miles without trouble, he'd have no problem getting to and fro to deliver a message or two. Law. Did Kidd ever have a companion?"

"Not that I know of. He was always a foul-tempered thing. _Mr Blackleg_."

Sanji's face twisted with impatience, Law turning his back to him while Luffy blinked with confusion. Turning away from the taller man, Sanji swiped a hand through his hair with a growl. Law then had to wonder if this was right; Kidd had an obvious hatred for humans, and had even mentioned wanting to be human to get his revenge. He'd also made it known that his thoughts and emotions were disregarded; it was startling to think that perhaps the sharkman had been hit where it hurt the most – and lost his arm because of it.

But why involve Law? Law couldn't imagine. He also couldn't imagine that guy having a 'companion' but if he thought about it…

He glanced at Sanji, who was roughly ruffling Luffy's hair as Luffy grinned up at him. _If he had one_ , Law thought, _then his companion must have been taken by humans. And he sought his revenge by becoming human…that could explain his hatred for them._ _And yet, he is trying to warn me from making a similar mistake…_

"If Kidd were working with humans," Law said slowly, recapturing their attention, "it would make sense that he were being forced to do so. His hate refuses to allow him any sympathy towards them, but proper motivation could be key, here."

"Ivankov practically forced you to be human for this agenda you weren't in the mood to explore, so…and it's not as if Kidd were guarding treasure, or something." Sanji said, Luffy listening quietly.

"Our conversations allow me to think that perhaps you are right about the companion issue. But I can't imagine…" Law trailed off for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "His companion must've been blind and deaf to bother with him. However, those scars he has are from long ago injuries. And he's always had the one arm."

"Who are you guys talking about?" Luffy asked curiously. "Someone we haven't met?"

"A sharkman," Sanji replied. "A very big and very ugly sharkman that's even larger than this fish, here."

Luffy's eyes sparkled with interest. Sanji patted his head, Law frowning at them both. Corazon would pat Law's head, and the contact would have caused him, as a child, a fit for the affection. So it bothered Law to see Sanji give affection to someone younger – inspiring those old memories – and for the fact that he was openly giving affection when Law was instructed not to. But then again, maybe there was a difference in head pats and groping…

"If we could somehow change his mind, we could gain his assistance in the matter," Sanji then suggested, pushing Luffy's head aside.

"I don't think that would work. Because if this was the issue, and if he were promised a reunion, he's going to move forward with the task for the reward. I admit, we merfolk are stubborn when it comes to something we grow attached to."

"How do you know this for sure?"

"Because that's what I'd do."

Sanji looked at him, an expression of awe on his features. He was clearly starry-eyed. _Romantic_! he thought breathlessly. _How could he say these things so casually with that face? I could never – I'd feel it, but to say it out loud to another man…? If only I could be that type of man to reveal such vulnerability!_

Luffy looked up at him with uncertainty, then made a face of his own, clearly revolted by what he saw. Sanji noticed the look and gave an elbow to the kid's head, flushing with guilt; Luffy pushed his arm away with a complaint, rubbing his scalp.

Law gave a gesture of one hand. "After all, Corazon's death was unanswered, and should the original intent truly involve me, shouldn't I know the facts surrounding it? There are some questions I need answers, to."

Sanji deflated, giving him a foul look before turning away. "Of course," he said, removing cigarette from mouth. "As you definitely should. Before the situation gets worse. With word out that you actually exist, it will inspire copycats from other parties if this one isn't successful. You could be hunted to the ends of the earth without ever knowing why you were."

"A _party_?" Luffy cried.

"NO."

"Orchestrated," Luffy then said with a sigh, elbows on railing, watching the faster ship stream towards them. "And yet, destiny brought us ruffians to the forefront on Law's behalf."

Sanji stared at him for several moments, then started to grow nervous. His eyes darted up at the sky above them, as if he'd see an answer. His head began to ring with another growing uncertainty.

 _Ah, I know that look_ , Law thought with indifference. _That's the talking-to-the-sky-like-it'll-answer -look_. _Which means he'll soon lapse into doubting himself, muttering, and blaming_ me _for something_ he _thought_.

 _Sometimes fate brings things together for God's reason_ , Sanji thought, cigarette to lips. _Either to prove a point in His power, or to aid the disbelievers into realizing He exists. Also, to punish those that doubt him…maybe while convincing myself that God has failed me with the shipwreck, I'd allowed the devil to whisper in my ear that my faith was that weak. Because clearly, a man orchestrated this entire debacle to happen for the relevance of one…person…_

"You keep speaking of this destiny," Law said to Luffy with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, things happen so other people can, like, be happier because of it," Luffy said, blinking at him owlishly. "Destiny is making me lost in a new place, but helping me find a great eatery to try out!"

"Destiny is a prearranged course of events," Sanji explained slowly, feeling slightly numb as his own thoughts pounded with doubt. "And yours, Law, started when Corazon entered your life in this case."

"And your place?" Law asked.

Numb, Sanji flicked his cigarette away, his expression stiff. "Was leading that guy back to you. It wasn't God's hand, it was man's, with Lucifer whispering in my ear. Excuse me, i-i-internal crisis, here."

Luffy and Law watched him walk away, both of them absolutely sure that this lapse was short lived; when they caught each other's expressions, both of them ended up shrugging. Luffy ended up laughing.

"You know that look too, Law?" Luffy asked him cheerfully.

"Who is 'Lucifer'?" Law asked, sure he hadn't met that person.

Luffy waved him off with a scoff.

"Don't worry about it," he told Law, who was still frowning after the man, "he gets this way. Listening to some invisible person running his life. All his choices either have to do because of that guy," he pointed at the sky, Law looking up to see if there actually was a man there before he caught himself, "or that one."

Law wore a confused expression as he saw that Luffy was pointing downward. He stepped back to look down between his feet, Luffy chuckling.

"Basically, two dudes are basically the reasons behind this entire book that tells people they only exist because of them," Luffy said cheerily. "And one's good, and one's super bad. But there are all these rules people got to follow to get somewhere good when they die. Have you seen a dead body before, Law?"

"Naturally."

"What do you think happens to them when they die?"

"They're consumed."

"And when people eat things, don't they poop?"

"Of course."

"Do you think they're good people or bad people before they're pooped?"

"They're just…humans. Food."

"Exactly! They all look the same, right? They don't just burn up because they were bad, or grow wings cuz they were good. But that guy was raised in a really religious household and he can't be convinced that what we do down here is in any way caused by anybody but our own choices. After hanging with us, he started to calm down but now…" Luffy shrugged, making his way back to the doorway nearby. "I don't know, I think he'd feel better once he got to actually fight with someone. That _always_ makes someone feel good."

 _Humans are so fucking weird_ , Law thought crossly.

: :

The iron ship overtook the Tangerine Dream. Dwarfing the boat with the bright picture of a tangerine against a pinwheel painted on its side, the initials DQ stood out against the stern, along with a set of numbers. A couple of rope ladders dropped onto the Tangerine Dream's deck, men quickly descending onto the ship with guns held in one hand, or strapped to their backs. They wore a dark uniform, curlicue letters detailed into the lapels of their jackets. Heads were covered with fine hats or those with low brims; all dressed for a chilly afternoon.

A few hastily tied accompanying anchor ropes to the Tangerine Dream's railing to hold it in place, but the moving momentum of the iron ship continued to pull the smaller one alongside it, crashing wood against iron. The area filled with a boom of the horn, rippling the air.

More men dropped onto the deck, quickly overtaking the available doorways and calling out an "All Clear!" with every open door. But the moment they hurried into one of the lounging areas, their tones changed. A command was barked out, and the air grew tense.

More than twenty minutes later, the looming shape of a grinning man ducked under the doorway, bringing with him a couple of men armed with rifles. Dressed in absolute finery, fur at his neck and tailored material clinging to his frame, Doflamingo glanced around himself before looking down at the single man sitting in one of the lounging chairs. He glowed with a greeting.

"So, you _are_ alive!" he boomed, clapping his hands together. "Third Vinsmoke son, Sanji Vinsmoke, you've survived the unsurvivable! What a striking miracle!"

Sanji looked at the man with a grim nod of his head. His stomach and chest were roiling with agitation, but his mind was clear enough to present the picture of a traumatized man. He allowed the shaking in his hands, the hard set of his jaw, playing the part of a human in shock. Had he never met the friends he had, he was positive this portrayal would be a real one, but his thoughts were solid and sturdy in this task.

The tall man towered over most men, but it was his aura that happened to make the room feel like it was full of hundreds of men. While two men stood aside of Doflamingo, Sanji could hear others moving about.

He rose from the chair with noticeable effort, fixing his jacket closed. Instead of the all black outfit he was wearing earlier, he was in Brook's wool jacket with the wide lapels, with lacy sleeves that peeked out from loosely cuffed jacket sleeves. He had a triple layer ascot clinging to his necks, and the jacket hid the fact that he was wearing his own trousers, but he had his feet gripping tightly to Brook's leather boots. He felt ridiculous, but it fit a calm picture of a pampered prince upset by traumatizing events.

"T-thank you, sir. It was an upsetting and terrible experience, but…here I am. By God's grace, I'm alive and standing before you. I…I didn't expect to be greeted so aggressively by your presence, I admit. This welcoming stance has made me extremely nervous…"

Doflamingo palmed his hands together, still grinning. "Thank the Lord for sparing your life," he said, and it occurred to Sanji at that moment that perhaps this man spoke with edged sarcasm that he hadn't detected, before. This new insight caused him strength. "I'm sure your family will be absolutely delighted to learn that you still walk this earth."

Sanji wore a stiff smile, nodding. He swallowed tightly, nervous hands fluttering to his clothes before he caught himself. That wasn't a part of the act. "I'm sure they would. Forgive me for sounding rude, but…what is with this approach? It's aggressive. The crew jumped ship hours earlier upon your approach, and I'm afraid it might have been out of fear. I was left here alone with my thoughts for quite some time. I wasn't sure what to expect."

"I am actually vacationing," Doflamingo said, glancing around himself. All he saw was a comfortable area a man could relax – to either stare out at the sea behind the boat, to read a few pages of the good book – which was clearly seen in Sanji's lap – or to take a comfortable nap. "And word spread to my crew that you were found. I decided to investigate this for myself, make sure your father wasn't prepared to take in an imposter that was going to take advantage of your disappearance."

"Did you inform my family that I was still…?"

"I will certainly inform them of that once we could escort you back onto my ship. As I'd mentioned, I wanted to make sure that it is actually you."

"I've had days to think," Sanji then said, rising from the chair, Doflamingo bowing ever so slightly as a sign of respect, the men at his sides following suit. Sanji bowed back, clasping the bible he held to his chest. "Too many days, but falling back onto my teachings, remembering my faith, relying on the hand of God and the empathy of Jesus Christ to steer me in the right direction with the right amount of positivity, yet…it isn't my family that is here, it is you. I…I understand our agreement, my need for secrecy while I pursue activities that aren't approved within the family, but…I understand that I was declared dead? Celebrated, even, and…you're a truthful man, is this true?"

"You'll have to understand that the sea is treacherous…why I've mentioned that it was a miracle that you were found alive. His Lord God allowed you survival, third son, and you question this?"

"Surely it is because I stoutly believe in Him, and the teachings of Jesus, and…I accept the lessons He has to teach me, but I…surely my own family had that much faith in me as well. Yet, yours is the first ship I encounter." Sanji took a troubled breath, pouring on the shocked innocence into tone and face. "You had family, hadn't you? Didn't they have faith in you?"

"My family was raised differently from yours, I'm afraid. We had different beliefs. It was only up to the individual to determine their standing in this world. I've a medical ward on my ship – why don't you visit one of the doctors, there? Though," Doflamingo said with a curious tilt of his tone, "it does not look as if you're in urgent need of one. For as many days as you must have been floundering on these tempestuous waters, you look as if the only thing that affected you was an appetite."

"I was washed ashore of a very small island, where I was able to remember my basic survival instincts. True, I had trouble determining what was right and what was wrong without a team of people to serve me, but I managed. I found shelter in the trees, and fresh water in the rocks."

" _Fascinating_."

"I prayed nearly every moment of the day that someone should find me, and this ship…its very nice crew, found me. Yet, upon your approach, they abandoned me. Perhaps they were intending on seeking opportunity, but I…I can't fathom what."

"Yes, your God and his son was good to you. Well, if you are truly the only one here, perhaps it's time to return to mine. Meanwhile, my team and I will make a run through to see who exactly these people were. Surely there was a larger group responsible for this mess that we could find and prosecute if their intentions were ill."

"You could," Sanji murmured, looking at his book.

As they made to leave the area, Doflamingo waving at him, Sanji hesitated.

"In these waters," he said slowly, "I encountered animals that I could not identify…"

"Your father mentioned that animals might have a soft spot for you."

"They were half human, I was sure…"

Sanji didn't miss the look of interest that crossed the older man's face at that second, but Doflamingo's tilt of head caused it to disappear just as quickly.

"It might sound silly, but…"

"Tales are based upon truth, Sanji. That's how myths are born. Perhaps you were seeing things."

"No…I'm positive that I wasn't…but the Lord's hand wasn't involved in making these things, for they were…terribly frightening creatures. With sharp teeth, and likings to the animals that has already been on record by weathered seaman. And those creatures spoke with human voices, but…I questioned myself; why would the Lord allow them life beneath these waters as half humans? Are they His products, or those of the devil, for they were ghastly immodest, very…"

"Sometimes, it's not always either hand at work. Sometimes creatures are just…creatures, avoiding man's hand."

"Demons? And yet, none of them were poised as a threat to me."

"Because you are diligent in your beliefs, third son. Surely, that's why."

Sanji exhaled, hand to his chest. "My faith will not waver, I am thankful that He allowed me this continued breath. Mr Donquxiote, do you believe in fairytales and sea creatures such as these…half creatures? The seaman I've traveled with spoke of them, but their temptations towards human males, trying to divide their faith, didn't speak of them as if they were demons, but fairy tales. As I've mentioned, I've had plenty of time to think, but I think I require urgent reassurance that perhaps what I'd seen was just…a sense of madness, in that I thought I was going to die."

Doflamingo inhaled and exhaled, and Sanji was quite positive he was playing his part too well. As the third son, with three very opinionated brothers and an aggressive father, he was often referred to as the 'nervous, weak one'. Little was known about his more relaxed side that he showed with his friends. But he followed alongside Doflamingo was they were lead from the room, heading to the outside door.

"Maybe you saw them, maybe you didn't. What matters is that you're alive to tell the tale."

"Do you believe in merfolk, Mr Donquixote?"

"I believe there is much to uncover about the world's darkest parts. Perhaps they aren't tales at all, but truths."

"You mentioned you had a younger brother, Rocinante." Sanji didn't miss the twitch of the bigger man's jaw. "Where is he? Perhaps his opinion is something I could rely on, right now."

"He is no longer part of this world. Unfortunately, we were not close. But I hold his memory dear to my heart. Parts of you…remind me of him," Doflamingo added, and Sanji couldn't help but wonder which parts.

"As rambunctious as my brothers are, I would miss them if one of them had gone missing." Sanji tried not to show any negative emotion, but a tickle built in his throat just releasing those words. He swallowed tightly. "Was your relationship that terrible? I apologize for being so intrusive, but I…it's been quite some time since I was able to converse with at least one other person. The others on this ship spoke a language I wasn't familiar with."

"Oh? I don't recall ever sharing his name with you. I rarely bring up such a personal topic…"

"You once mentioned that I reminded you of him. I apologize again for this conversation, I just…I have a lot of thoughts."

On the deck, Doflamingo seemed to wear an annoyed expression. He scanned the seas – with its sparkling, sun-reflective surface, the scatter of clouds in the horizon. The smell of coal and oil was strong, his ship treating the surface like it were a dangerous tool, cutting into the water with its weight and presence. The smaller Tangerine Dream banged noisily against it, like an insistent sliver under one's skin. Its sails had been pulled in, and men roamed the deck with suspicious expressions.

"I suppose I do remember mentioning that," Doflamingo said on a mutter. "Maybe it was the way you smoked that day, or bothering me with a persistent quest that was forced into secrecy."

"I've never seen pictures of him."

"Maybe you should get some rest after seeing a doctor. I have a medical team on-board. Have you eaten, yet?"

A seagull screamed from above their heads, and Doflamingo looked up with question, men turning around in circles to search for the bird. Signal heard, Sanji lowered his bible to his side and absolved himself to the next step.

"Mr Donquixote, did you murder your younger brother for his failure to produce to you a certain merman?"

Doflamingo's head whipped about to look at him, startled.

Several of the gun toting men jerked, uttering sounds of pain and mortal wounding. Before the others could react, they were felled, too, Doflamingo looking upward at his ship with surprise. He looked to Sanji as the sounds of fights broke out above their heads.

Sanji already held the gun he'd hidden in the bible he held at his head, and Doflamingo was frozen with both shock and outrage as the men around him fell from shots from above.

"It wasn't God that allowed me to survive your deliberations," Sanji said crossly. "It was shitty men with shitty, selfish reasons that forced me to realize that's there's more to this world than just our bullshit. You have some answers to provide, you disgusting murderer. I suggest if you want to survive, you'll play this game with us."

Doflamingo's face didn't move, but then he clapped his hands together with a loud laugh. He seemed unconcerned of the scene happening away from their eyes, and being surrounded by the bodies of his men on deck. From behind him emerged Brook with his rapier unsheathed, blade point pressing against the taller man's back.

"One wrong move, and your spine will be severed before you know it," Brook warned him, Doflamingo slowly lifting his palms to indicate that he was surrendering.

"What an unwelcomed, and yet surprising deception," Doflamingo murmured with amusement. "I pulled in with a crew capable of taking down small armies, should we encounter them trespassing upon my travel routes, and it comes down to this."

"Not only that, dipshit, but we aren't alone out here," Sanji said. "You'll come with us willingly while that problem up there is sorted out accordingly."

"You've made all the wrong friends on your travels, third son."

"No, I don't think I did."

"From the sounds of it, we've got the time," Brook said to Sanji.

Sanji nodded, then prodded at Doflamingo with the muzzle of the weapon he held with confidence. "I don't give a fuck about my personal life, but I do give a fuck about my friends. And the newest one I've made recently has a few things he wants to ask of you. Come along."

: :

They made their way down to the dining area, Brook forcing the taller man to fit himself into a chair at an empty table. Sanji walked over to one of the walls near the windows, and depressed a soft spot within the center of this wall, a hidden door popping out one angled corner. He pulled the door open, Law stepping out with an irritated face. Doflamingo's mouth pulled into a frown, but it was difficult to tell what his eyes were saying. Law looked at him with wordless observation. His senses were going haywire, and he wasn't exactly sure why. Next to him, Sanji closed the door, and indicated the man watching them quietly. Law's attention turned to the gun in the blonde's hand, unsure of its usage before looking back at Doflamingo.

Doflamingo's forehead seemed to pulse before he lowered an elbow atop of the armrest, fingers to his mouth.

"This is Doflamingo Donquixote," Sanji told Law. "Don't worry about the stuff going on out there, this is the man you need to talk to."

Law looked to the man once more, and couldn't shake the feeling of _danger_ going off in every direction. He didn't move any closer, even as Sanji prodded him to at least take a step forward. He couldn't see the man's eyes, but he felt marked in such a way that he couldn't escape.

Brook fanned himself with one hand, wearing a mystified expression as he held his rapier without waver against Doflamingo's skull.

"Well," Doflamingo said, straightening in his chair, ignoring the point digging into his scalp. "Well, well, _well_ …here we are. Without wasting time into any backstory, it seems you've found something valuable, Mr Vinsmoke."

"These are your strings," Sanji muttered. " _Your_ strings that you pulled individually to make sure that I did. Not the hands of God, or our, _my_ , savior, Jesus Christ, for this was man's hand to make sure that I'd stumbled onto this foul story…"

Doflamingo's gesture of the cross was made with mockery, causing Sanji's face to darken. Law had seen Sanji make this gesture before, but he was unsure why the blonde was upset about it now.

"You are in possession of a treasure," Doflamingo stressed, Law feeling his face tighten with a frown, "that no other human being could grasp. Admittedly, it isn't unusual to run into one if you'd consider their environments. They are drawn to human activity – not for the act of nourishment, but because we are invading their homes with our actions. Curious animals. And you've tamed one."

"I've _befriended_ one, yes."

"No, Mr Vinsmoke," Doflamingo said, grinning wickedly. "The only reason why merfolk are drawn to particular human beings is because they have hearts that crave companionship. And this one willingly walked out of water for you, no matter the story. _Scandalous_ , considering you're a child of God, and a loyal follower of his Lord, Jesus Christ. Who died in particular for some of the sins you're committing, now."

Sanji's face and neck reddened, teeth baring as a sound of fury started to erupt. Brook's eyebrows lifted high and fast against his hairline.

"You would know this?" Law asked Doflamingo curiously while ignoring the moral battles of the man next to him. He could read the tension, but not the conflict that made Sanji's face so red and Brook's eyebrows to lift that high towards his hairline. "That's why you yourself became human?"

"I do. She passed late fall. Never accepted me, but I'd as soon as buy the moon and stars for her. Give her everything that she ever desired for all those years. But her illness was stronger than my affections. You're a year too late, you piece of shit. And I'll never forgive you."

"Interesting," Law murmured.

"I haven't met a suspicious person such as this," Sanji muttered angrily. "There wasn't such a woman in your shitty fortress of a house - !"

"She chose to live elsewhere. In a smaller place. Some place…safe and cozy, a place only _I_ could place her to avoid losing her," Doflamingo said with a purr, the grin he wore somewhat sinister.

 _This is a wicked man,_ Law thought as Sanji snarled at the bigger man, outraged on a stranger's behalf. _Someone capable of murdering innocents, and his own relation._

He thought of his sister – ill and dying of something his parents couldn't prevent. And somehow the anger began to grow, pushing past the level of numbness he'd felt all these years.

"I don't care about that," he said slowly, "but what Ivankov told me was bigger than that."

Doflamingo actually wore a disgusted expression at the name, and Law couldn't help but be perturbed.

"That's what started all this? That… _kraken_ …whispered a few words into your ear? Bored of its long life, it started searching for trouble around it?"

"You were searching for me, is what I heard. You slaughtered my entire colony at that time just to…"

"Until a year ago I was searching for you," Doflamingo agreed sharply. "As for the killing of those folks? Well…man is usually afraid of what they don't understand…those are their conditions for which I have no responsibility for."

 _What a vile person_ , Law thought, blood thundering noisily against his thoughts.

"Then I established a life of my own. I'd once searched for you for a cure, but now I started searching to destroy you for the misery of it all."

"I have nothing to do with that. But I am bothered by Corazon's death."

Doflamingo laughed noisily. "You mean, Rocinante?"

"He never gave me this name."

"My younger brother deceived me," Doflamingo murmured bitterly. "Told me a lie after all this time was spent searching for the cure only a merfolk could provide. He didn't mention his end of the deal to you. It seems he didn't bother to reveal that his intentions weren't as pure as you thought they were."

"I know what Ivankov told me."

"And you trust that deception? Two _liars_ conniving together?"

"Do not listen any further to his words," Brook interrupted gently, looking to Law. "Because he is leading you to a path you've yet to explore."

"I am only telling the truth, old man," Doflamingo said to Brook.

Law did feel as if he were venturing in on something that felt overwhelming. True, he wasn't quite confident of human deceptions; but Doflamingo was mentioned as a merfolk himself. Law didn't know if Doflamingo returned to his roots upon occasion.

He exhaled shortly. "It sounds like he'd done your companion a favor, in the end of it. Without giving you a word of my whereabouts, she was able to leave this life you've imprisoned her in. Sounds fair. A life for a life."

Doflamingo's jaw twitched then hardened. The tension in the room seemed to explode exponentially, and without realizing it, Law's hand lifted at his side.

"When one loses their companion," Doflamingo said gruffly, forehead pulsing with veins that seemed to grow prominently as an indication of his temper, "one gets a little angry. Loses a sense of their rationale. Grows…distempered."

"Ah. Like Kidd."

" _Whoever_ that is."

"So, he did lose a companion. That would explain his temperament."

"Your useless words and insights suggest to me that you haven't been human for very long, _fish_ ," Doflamingo snorted, hands tightening over his lap. "So you don't understand the phrase, 'keeping your thoughts to yourself' as a sense of propriety."

"I'm learning," Law assured him, watching him without blinking.

Sensing intent, Brook's hand moved before either of them noticed, but the man was faster. His long arm reached behind him to clasp fingers over his rapier and bent it within his grasp, showing off strength uncommon for a human man. Before Sanji could blink, Doflamingo was in Law's face and the man was smashed clear through the lounge room's floor to ceiling windows. Glass glittered and sparkled around him before the cold hand of the sea caught them.

It took a few moments for Sanji to realize that Law had grabbed his ascot in that split moment to take him with him, so the jarring impact knocked him senseless once they broke the water surface, settling into the cold blue of the sea like boneless dolls.

Brook charged at Doflamingo the second he moved, but once he'd witnessed the charge and force, he instantly assessed the situation, dropping the remains of his weapon and sinking back into the shadows of abandoned halls. Left alone, Doflamingo blinked away the red of his vision to see what he'd done, looking out through the broken windows with a terse expression. He realized what Law had done, turning to observe the empty room, glass sparkling at his feet. He cracked his knuckles with a tilt of his head.

"Wasn't aware I still had it in me," he murmured to himself with wonder, turning away.

Awkwardly, Law climbed the water to break through the surface, gasping once he could breathe. The sensation of being useless and clumsy in the water left his mind in a panic, but he kicked his legs and thrashed until he could tread with his head above water. He had the frantic impulse to rip off his clothes, because they seemed to make his efforts harder – the material clinging to his skin and causing a difficult drag in his kicks. Next to him, Sanji sputtered and coughed, ripping the rest of the ascot away from his neck, Law looking at him with surprise because he wasn't aware that Sanji had followed him.

"Don't choke me with your desperate moves, you shitty fish!" Sanji snarled at him, splashing him with angry hands then grabbed onto his shirt as Law started to drown.

"I didn't realize I had saved your damn life!" Law snarled back at him as he thrashed over the water, trying to get his human body to listen to his command. But his human body was so clumsy, and he kicked fruitlessly, choking on the waves.

Pausing upon hearing that, Sanji wondered if Law's hand had just closed upon his clothes upon natural reaction to being hit, or if this was just an unconscious action to protect him; like that time battling Kidd.

 _Saving his food for later_ , he thought impatiently.

Sanji then reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Go limp, just let your legs relax. I have you. I won't let you drown."

Law didn't trust the concept for a couple of moments, but because of the situation, he couldn't help but listen. His body floated gently, Sanji keeping his head aloft, and Law had to trust in the man's grip.

"He still has our strength," Law muttered, wiping his face. His skin reacted to the salty water with an itchy unfamiliarity. The taste of it was invasive and strange, having him wonder how he'd never noticed these things, before. His eyes burned ever so slightly, causing another discomfort. "So he could have retained some ability. Unfortunately, I wouldn't know what."

"Are all you guys of some ability?"

"No. Just a select few. But we can't think that he doesn't."

"You took the whole impact," Sanji then said with concern. "Are you hurt?"

"It knocked the wind out of me, but the sea gave it back upon return. Strangely," Law then added, furrowing his brow, "Kidd hits harder with his one arm than Doflamingo could. So, that's a plus."

"This guy, so positive," Sanji muttered, adjusting his hold to start swimming with one arm towards the Tangerine Dream. Once they reached it, Sanji helped him find the coordination to climb up, but it was a process. By the time Law climbed onto the deck, he was panting, his hands sensitive to the concept of climbing and his legs sore with the uneven movement. Sanji allowed him time to recover, yanking off his jacket and then removing the only boot that had remained on his feet. He unbuttoned his collar and then folded his cuffs up, Law's hands at the small of his own back as he stretched.

"That creep kept a woman in some secret shack, and she died, alone and in strange captivity," Sanji muttered to himself angrily, Law glancing over. "Because of his selfishness, the deaths of two people on record will be the reason why his soul goes to Hell."

"Where's that?"

"Below."

Law looked at the wood at his feet, positive he hadn't reached that level of the Tangerine Dream just yet. Sanji restrained himself from reacting negatively.

"It's a place where we go to die! Where those that have _sinned_ ," his voice thinned reedily at the word, "go for eternal damnation!"

"Sanji, as Luffy says, we all look the same when we're pooped."

Sanji's face and neck reddened, then purpled, angry noises leaving him as Law walked ahead, craning his neck to look up at the ship that dwarfed them both. "Don't you dare take that one's lessons to heart!" Sanji shouted after him, stomping angrily. "That kid thinks the sun rises and sets on the right fish!"

"Even in the midst of peril, you still believe in something that sounds made-up."

" _Don't you dare belittle my beliefs_ \- !"

"You were fine when it was just the two of us," Law then pointed out, looking at him, "and now it sounds as if you think any union that we have had was wrong. That makes me feel as if I had never been worthy in the first place. A _mistake_ …"

Sanji heaved a hard breath. He swept his hands through his hair, wringing out most of the water. "I don't regret meeting you, or…or the feelings that resulted as a matter of it. You aren't a mistake. I…I…keep doubting _myself_ because of the perils we're in, and…my faith – "

"If your faith causes you this much distress, then why have it at all?"

"Because these things are ingrained in me!"

"Doflamingo mentioned that we leave the water strictly for our companions," Law stated clumsily, "and perhaps I did so mainly because of Ivankov's insistence, but it was because of meeting you that I'm here. So where is your faith in me?"

Sanji gave him a helpless look.

"Humans are _stupid_."

" _ARGH_! I know, _I know_ …!"

"Then have faith in me, you stupid shit! You belittle my feelings and cause me to think that my existence was a mistake, but I am tired of feeling like a _mistake_ ," Law added bitterly while Sanji shot him a helpless look, "Only you are making me feel that way, now. Corazon didn't make me feel that way, but it took me this long to understand that…"

He trailed off with disgust, then turned away, walking towards the other ship. Sanji watched him helplessly, feeling wretched. Despite the shouts and screams coming from above their heads, he said firmly, "My religion allows me to think that love is powerful and all encompassing, but – "

"But only under certain, acceptable conditions."

Sanji thought of all the things he'd told the fishman, all the things he wrestled with, and couldn't come up with a negating answer. Law gave him a look of disgust.

"Even if my head tells me one thing, my heart tells me another," Sanji muttered. "I understand that my words and actions hurt, but I…I'm having trouble just…letting go when all my thoughts and actions are things…I find myself following regardless of the situation."

"I feel resolved in this matter to eliminate the predator because he chose to involve me, and I like my peaceful life without constant interference. What does your God have to say about that? I am not part of your beliefs, and yet…here I am."

Sanji sighed noisily, rubbing at his own chest with trouble.

Law then looked out at the sea with a confused expression. "Penguin and Shachi would have been useful, right now."

"You merfolk are gods compared to us humans," Sanji said tightly, looking down at his feet, water puddling around him on a sun-warmed deck. "It must frustrate you that we aren't as interesting as you lot, are. All we have are our beliefs and understandings, wars and power – limited understandings of affection, limitations to what's acceptable. I'm sorry if I made you feel the way that you do, but I…if I was supposed to feel someway, then I _shouldn't_ have been feeling what I do, now. And I feel someway about you that I…haven't experienced with anyone else. I've been questioning myself, and battling my feelings and my faith, and I apologize for it, I do, but – "

He looked up to finish and balked when he saw that Law was halfway up the iron ship already, out of hearing of his mumbling expression. He grit his teeth, hands balled into fists with frustration.

"STOP LEAVING ME IN THE MIDDLE OF A DISCUSSION!" he shouted furiously, Law looking down and back at him – nearly losing his grip on the rope ladder, swinging loosely by the tips of his fingers, and having Sanji frantically climbing after him to rescue him.

Once they climbed aboard, Law wheezing with paralyzed shock as he discovered how high up from the water they were, Sanji saw that most of the crew were downed in haphazard positions throughout the deck. Ussop had positioned himself high up onto one of the watch towers above them, and Sanji only caught a bare glimpse of his goggles when they reflected the sun just right. Law gaped up at the newest height, dizzy at the sight when Franky bounced off the floor to their right, skidding over the deck with a grunt.

Doflamingo's laugh rang out, and Law rose shakily to his feet, his legs shaky from the climb. But the boat was sturdier, without the movement of noticeable rocking that the Tangerine Dream produced. Sanji hurried over to Franky to check on him, the man groaning with pain.

"That guy's got a punch like a canon," Franky moaned, hand to his stomach. "Pretty sure I left my intestines on the flight over. _Super_ unfriendly."

"If you can talk nonsense, then you're fine," Sanji said assuredly, helping him to his feet. "And the others?"

"We managed to clear out most of them, but some moved below deck to escape. Brook handling the package?"

"I suppose so."

"Why are you all wet? Were you _bathing_ at a time like this?" Franky asked, outraged once he caught sight of Sanji. Sanji pushed him aside, then turned and saw that Law was nowhere in sight. He balked again, hurrying off towards the source of the noises, Franky slowly following after him, arm over his stomach.

Panicking because he'd lost sight of Law, Sanji headed towards one of the opened doors, trying to think of any way he'd be of any assistance in a fight between outrageously strong men. Robin emerged from the doorway, pushing along a frightened, sweaty teenaged boy that clutched a clothed bag to his chest. His white button shirt, black suspenders, and black pants pooling over dull leather shoes was overshadowed with a faded white coat with a pocket full of pens and a notepad. His stethoscope barely clung to his neck, in danger of falling. His pink hat was clutched along with the bag, brown curls spilling around his round face.

"Ah, welcome," Robin greeted Sanji, hands on the boy's shoulders to steady him. "Did the talk go well?"

"He's clearly a man that retains certain abilities. What's this? Survivor?"

"I found him," Robin said brightly, fingers tight enough to make the kid wince. "This vulnerable _child_ was found wandering, lost and alone, and afraid. I thought it would be prudent to rescue him."

"I wasn't _lost_ , nor was I in any danger, you fool!" the kid snapped at her. "I was safe in the medical bay with my work when you walked in and snatched me! I'm being kidnapped! Help me!"

"I've found us a doctor," Robin told Sanji, wearing a brilliant smile as Sanji looked at the kid skeptically.

" _Pirates_! I'm being _pirated_!"

"Um…Robin…"

Robin smiled prettily. "This ship is scheduled to be sunk at any moment. It's a good thing I found him in time."

"Well, yes, but…"

"Oh, a doctor," Franky wheezed, the kid gasping at the sight of him. She observed the arm slung around his mid-section. "Good on ya, Robin. I need one of those."

"Oh, no…diarrhea?"

"NO! I was _punched_ , idiot!"

Robin whitened, fingers tightening once more as the kid squealed. "Doctor. His appendix has burst…surely he's suffering from a type of septic shock to speak the way he does to me."

Franky immediately grew nervous, waving his hands about as Sanji's head whipped from side to side, and he headed off to resume his search. "No, no, _no_ , definitely not that. I was punched, don't worry about it, I'm good, now. I'm absolutely peachy! _Super_ healthy and fit!"

" _I'm being stolen_! Doesn't anyone care?" the kid wept, sweat pouring down his cheeks.

"I was frightened for a moment, Franky," Robin said with relief, guiding the kid ahead of her, Franky reluctantly following. "I thought we'd almost lost you."

"If only your concern matched the expression on your face," Franky mumbled, hugging himself with a shiver.

: :

Law found Doflamingo facing off with Luffy, Zoro and Jimbei, the three looking eerily tired. In the bright light of the rotunda just below the deck, the light from the sky pouring down on them, the man visibly towered over them, with Jimbei barely at shoulder level. Law's eyes widened at the tension, but he was distracted by the sight of Zoro's three swords, which gleamed upon the gentle touch of sunlight. The area was visibly bothered by broken furniture, cracked doors that barely clung to the wooden frames, and fallen candles that spilled wax onto a carpeted floor. The area was bigger than the Tangerine Dream's deck space – brilliantly colored in soft gold and maroon, the floral carpeting soft and bristly at his feet.

The three were visibly wounded, but they stood at the ready, and Law looked at them skeptically, wondering of their strength and power against a former merfolk that could punch him through a window.

Except for a collar with a small tear in it, Doflamingo looked untouched. None of their eyes moved in Law's direction, coming from behind as he was. He could hear their labored breath, and smell the sweat on their skin – he noticed their various bruises, cuts and hematomas that branded their flesh, curious how they were hurt.

Doflamingo glanced at him from over his shoulder, then turned to face him, causing three expressions to flash with irritation.

"How shameful," Doflamingo tutted Law. "Attacking a man from behind."

"Then it's a good thing you turned to face me," Law told him. "We have no concept of what it means to have human honor in propriety, as a predator is a predator no matter what skin it wears."

"Your life as a human will end today. Either by my hands, or another human's, but I prefer that it was mine."

"For something only you were responsible for? Then you shall be punishing yourself, no matter what happens, today."

" _Simple_. Fish brains are so _simple_."

"Maybe your strength is more than a natural human's," Law said, fisting his hands as he felt that invasion of tension suddenly swamp the area, "but I've been punched harder by a one armed shark."

Doflamingo laughed at him, hands out to his sides.

"Watch out, Law!" Luffy called out, tensing. "He does something weird with his hands! Something we can't see!"

"That's why you sent Cora," Law said. "So you can retain your powers. The less we use of them, the longer we stay human."

His hands flew up in time when he heard the startled, muffled shouts of men, both Zoro and Jimbei slamming into him from the sides as Doflamingo's arms shot out and around him like a whip. Luffy charged in with a growl, Law thrusting both men away from him. An electric charge built up within the room as he lunged forward towards the man, who prepared himself for the attack. Neither Luffy or Doflamingo was prepared for the switch, as Luffy replaced Law from the front, his thrown punch startling Doflamingo as he realized the deception. Law completed Luffy's charge from the back, hand alighting with green energy as he stabbed the man directly from the back to midsection with a charge that lit up both Doflamingo and Luffy. Both of them jerked in place, teeth clenched together and bodies snapping with a shock that sounded out like a canon within the enclosed area. Law then ripped upward up towards the man's head and jerked his hand away with a kick to the back of the man's legs with both of his. The movement was clumsy, as he was used to combating with his tail and it was only when he'd connected that he remembered he had legs.

The three of them fell to the ground, Luffy stiffly rolling away with a paralyzed expression and Doflamingo twitching as he rose with immense effort to his hands and knees. One hand went to his midsection and chest, his grin gone as his clothes smoked ever so slightly. Jimbei hastily yanked Luffy over to himself and Zoro, both of them moving the kid out of the area of combat. After a few moments of silence, Doflamingo coughed noisily, covering his mouth. Blood spurted around that palm and dribbled down his wrist. He pulled his hand away to look at it with surprise.

Law stood up, rubbing his hip with a bothered expression. "That's how I cut into bigger predators," he said low. "Cutting into their organs from the inside out."

"You almost killed him!" Zoro snarled at him, gesturing at Luffy. Law glanced over at the kid that seemed unconscious, but his skin glowed with vibrancy and health. He made a scoffing sound.

"I feel bad enough to apologize," Law said airily. He kicked Doflamingo's ribs, the bigger man losing his balance as he rolled to his side with a curse. "My powers can hurt merfolk easily, but heal humans. Seeing as I'd damaged you, there's still enough merfolk in you to be hurt. Are you sure you want to continue battle with me? Or should I end it, now, with you giving up?"

"Luffy is obviously _very_ hurt," Jimbei muttered, looking down at the kid.

"No. I can hear his heart racing," Law said, indicating his ear. "His adrenaline has been recharged, and his cellular regeneration is working rapidly to restore what was lost or injured – what you see affecting him is the result of an over-productive revival."

"He is _smoking_ ," Zoro pointed out flatly. "He is _unconscious_."

"Hmm, then maybe he was struck by the hand of God."

"Is this ship allowed to be equipped with such sarcasm?" Jimbei questioned low to Zoro.

" _You shitty fish_!" Zoro snapped at Law impatiently.

Doflamingo struck out at Law as he was distracted, grabbing him by the ankle. He whipped the man around, slamming him through one of the walls. It shattered under Law's body, breaking outward to reveal another room as he flopped head over heels amidst the debris before halfway slamming through another wall. The two watching fell into stunned silence as Doflamingo rose slowly, breathing harshly as he once again looked at his bloodied hand.

"Now, that is one way to avoid doorways," Jimbei muttered, Zoro snarling at him as he threw Luffy over one shoulder.

 _I didn't come up here to get my…_ ass _thrown and beaten_ , Law thought furiously, sluggishly rising to his feet and noticing that his human body was sore and aching with pain. He pushed out from the wall, becoming aware of the damage he'd caused with his own body.

Doflamingo wavered slightly on his feet, breathing heavily. Blood continued to gush over his open lips and stained his teeth, his hands clumsily moving from his midsection to his neck. His expression was both furious and yet surprised as he examined the stains on his hands, and those of the floor.

"I am bleeding," he said aloud, his tone surprised. Even saying it caused his facial expressions to turn heavy with realization.

"That's what happens to normal humans," Sanji said, brought to the scene by the loud noises he'd heard upon his approach. He assessed the situation, seeing Zoro flee with Luffy over one shoulder while Jimbei lingered behind upon seeing the blonde's approach. As he observed Doflamingo's reactions, he then wore a surprised expression himself, looking towards the damaged walls to find Law slowly making his way back towards them.

 _A god_ , he thought with a frozen expression. _In looks and strength – I mean! Strength! Unparalleled_ strength _!_

"But he's not a normal human," Sanji corrected himself hastily, thoughts scattered. To Jimbei, he explained, "Law heals humans, but damages merfolk."

"You said that previously," Jimbei reminded him. "You must be in some sort of shock to see this type of violence."

" _Of course_ I've seen violence before! What the hell – I might be the image of a pampered person, but in reality, I am not!"

"Don't be so shrill with me, I am attempting to understand this peculiar situation." Jimbei then wore a skeptical expression. "And what is with that face? Is that an expression of shock, awe, or - ?"

"Don't look at my face! _Law_!" Sanji snarled, beet red as Jimbei continued to look confused, "are you all right?"

Law glanced at him, then looked to Doflamingo with a start. The man was already in movement, so Law hastily switched himself with Sanji to take on the large hand that enclosed over his head, causing noises of shock around them. Once Doflamingo realized he'd grabbed the wrong person, he snarled, sputtering blood moments later as Law's hands moved to his fingers to pry away from his head. Sanji saw this with a horrified gasp, moving to assist in some way when Doflamingo flung the new human into Jimbei, both of them flying over the rotunda floor and sliding through one of the wide corridors away from them. He paused in mid-step, certain that he wouldn't have a chance to make any sort of impact. Glancing around while Doflamingo stumbled about, Sanji searched for something that would help him in this fight.

The shrill scream of metal being ripped from metal caught their attention, but the ship shuddered noisily. Moments later, it erupted with a powerful blast that sent them to the floor with startled noises, the ship seemingly crying out with its own pain as it tilted to the side.

"That was not supposed to happen while we were still here," Sanji heard Jimbei mutter, the taller man grabbing Sanji by his arm and jerking him along with him. "Let's go – I don't doubt your swimming prowess, but this is a bigger ship than the Orbit."

"I'm not leaving that idiot behind," Sanji snapped at him as the electricity within the ship began to flutter, men's cries audible over the groaning sounds of a sinking ship.

"That was no bomb," Doflamingo muttered, catching their attention as his expression turned pensive. He turned to look after Law, who was slowly picking himself back up from the debris. "What name did you mention earlier?"

After managing to stand, Law caught his breath. He assessed the situation, Kidd's words ringing out in his mind. He waved off Doflamingo's question, looking to Sanji and Jimbei.

"If the ship is sinking, leave it," he stated firmly. "This is something I'll handle on my own."

"You can't survive this as a human," Sanji returned. "We can help you."

"I'm not planning on being human for that long," Law assured him, hands on his hips. "Kidd informed me on how to change back. It's something I can easily do."

Sanji stared at him with dismay for several seconds, then resolutely tightened his jaw. " _Oh_."

"Sorry to break up this useless chatter, but I'm not dying _that_ easily," Doflamingo interrupted gruffly, hand to his chest. His mouth, his teeth, was gleaming with his own blood, and his racking coughs bubbled with liquid that he promptly spat up onto his shirt with effort.

" _Sanji_ ," Jimbei uttered, tugging at his arm as furniture and debris began to lift and slide away from them, causing them to adjust their stances.

"Now that you've got your answers, you're just going to return…home?" Sanji asked Law, jerking out of Jimbei's grip. "And that's it?"

"I didn't want to be human in the first place. There are…too many rules. Many of them useless," Law added. "Many of them involving a power that has nothing to do with me."

"… _Well_ ," Sanji trailed off, battling an expression he didn't want to show in front of the others. "Alright. We'll leave it to you."

"Sanji…?" Jimbei questioned with a furrow of his brow.

"This is something he wants, just give it to him. There's no changing his damned mind," Sanji muttered bitterly, heading back the way he came while Jimbei glanced at the others with confusion on his face. But he followed, Doflamingo watching them leave before twisting his head to look back at Law with a sneer.

"You are a piece of work, aren't you?" he asked, teeth stained with blood as he coughed again, his legs unsteady as the ship continued to tilt. "There is no other reason why we choose to breathe oxygen, Law. Not even we are that motivated to settle differences if they aren't in the way of survival…"

"You speak of things like you remember them quite clearly," Law said to him firmly, trying to keep his balance as the ship continued to tilt dangerously. His bare feet squeaked against the floor as his weight began pulling at him. "It's amazing that someone of your age remembers life under the water."

"When it's all said and done, you'll look back on this moment and _regret_."

"Everyone keeps telling me this, and yet I feel nothing like it. I was only interested in watching, never participating. This was interesting, I admit – but I ask you this; how am I to feel anything when the one I'd trusted _lied_ to me, and the other can't stop believing in invisible things to admit that I exist?"

"That _is_ a quandary," Doflamingo admitted. He steadied himself, hands out once more. "Well, enough chatter – I don't intend on dying, today. And it seems like you're ready to!"

"Admittedly, that's not on my list of things to do, either," Law said, hand bursting with brilliant blue color that seemed to pulse. "While you were busy bleeding all over the floor, I was busy with something else besides creating holes in the walls with my human form."

"Oh…?"

Before Doflamingo could say anything else, he was seeing the outside wall of the iron ship, in free fall before he knew it. Behind him was the Tangerine Dream, but someone had managed to pull it away from the iron ship's bigger bulk, putting space between them. The height of both crafts blocked out the sun, living this area a shadowy ripple. Surprise and horror struck him as he hit the water with a shout that didn't leave his mouth in time. Once he hit the waves below, he angrily flailed about, trying to release himself of his heavy clothing, pushing his head towards the surface. Blood colored the area around him.

 _Unfair advantage_! He thought furiously, looking up at his ship as it continued to tilt backward, the sea seemingly eating it up like a greedy monster. He realized Law had replaced him with one of the rope ladders dangling in mid-air – one of which were attached to the Tangerine Dream. He turned to begin swimming towards the small ship, legs kicking clumsily to keep his head above water, and a hand raised to latch onto the Tangerine Dream's wooden form.

Something strong and heavy grabbed him from around his ankle and yanked him downward, preventing him from inhaling.

Doflamingo whipped his head around to see the grinning sharkman behind him, fiery red hair illuminated by the afternoon sun. He was surprised by how big the creature was – how these creatures dwarfed even him underneath the surface of the waves.

"Remember me, jerk?" Kidd snarled at him, showing all his teeth. He inhaled deeply of the blood he could smell, glowing eyes narrowing as his irises widened broadly. " _I_ remember you. And you took something very valuable from me, something I never got back."

"I don't, actually," Doflamingo mumbled, truly puzzled by the sharkman's appearance and intentions.

"Then I guess you never will," Kidd decided before attacking, mouth open to display all rows of teeth.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n: Finally, an update! Thanks to Mazout for helping me fluff up the chapter ; )**

**Shadow: 10**

* * *

The sight of the iron ship sinking in the distance caused the onlookers on the Tangerine Dream some awe and horror. The sun was slowly lowering in the distance, and they could hear the shouts and screams of men as they sought safety onto smaller ships. The sound of the sea swallowing the lengthy, twelve level ship caused the air to hiss and bubble. There were occasional cracks of sound as weight caused by flooding caused particular sections of the sinking ship to break.

Ussop, binoculars to his eyes, reported gravely, "There goes another…what is _down_ there, exactly?"

He directed this question to Law, who was frowning down at the water the Tangerine Dream charged through, head turned away from the sight. His mind was running over and over the encounter with trouble, forehead furrowed with thought.

Ussop began to fret, nails to teeth. "Should we be alarmed? They're going down like _something_ is dragging them -!"

"I wouldn't know, I'm not there to see it," Law murmured in reply, but he had the thought that even Kidd wasn't that talented to finish off the remaining humans in their lifeboats. He wondered if his plan had worked; the angry sharkman should be appeased with feasting off such powerful flesh. His heart and head were turning at different speeds; he knew he should feel _something_ about the matter, feel satisfied that he avenged Cora, but something felt heavy and uneven.

Cora had lied to him; essentially, the merman was partly responsible for what happened to Law's family and colony.

 _Perhaps I couldn't feel for that individual as I thought I did_ , he thought. _Even if Doflamingo had aroused my anger and disgust, even if he'd confessed and made me feel such things during our conversation, I should feel something of the matter. Satisfaction, relief…something_!

"Perhaps Cora put some kind of spell on me," he decided aloud, the motley collection of crew members looking to him with some confusion. He didn't dwell into explaining that loud thought, and he wondered if the moving shadows below their ship were merfolk or…something else. What was Doflamingo's former form? Something similar to Corazon? The colorful merfolk was definitely fitting for the cold waters of the North, but Doflamingo had inspired _predator_ to Law in such a way that perhaps he was something different from a fishman.

"I hate when he does that," Sanji murmured with irritation. He stood the furthest from the fishman, Zoro looking at him with vague interest. The green haired fisherman looked from one man to the other, noting the distance. "Says something completely out of the blue, without any context, without bothering to…!"

He tutted, pushing away from the railing. "I'm going to change. I smell like a damn fish."

Robin watched him walk away, her gloved hands steady on the quietly sobbing doctor's shoulders. Next to her, Luffy was rubbing his head, looking quite alive and sturdy, despite Jimbei's curious stare in his direction. Robin then looked to the others, noting that Nami's dress was overflowing with pads of cash and a heavy bag of looted treasures at her feet. Brook was looking through another, his violin placed carefully atop of his folded jacket.

"We've won, but at what cost?" Zoro wondered aloud. "It feels like some lopsided victory."

"Yeah, those guys had no chance against us!" Luffy said cheerfully, but his expression was completely different from his tone. His clenched fists were resting atop of the railing, and Robin noted his angry frown. "But that guy sure was something else. I feel cheated! Law! Why'd you throw him in the water?"

Law glanced over at the sound of his name, and noted that Sanji was no longer standing there. He wondered if the man were still upset at him; but then again, he felt an issue with it, anyway. He couldn't compare to an invisible deity. After a glance around the deck, he shrugged a shoulder. His human legs felt awkward, and he gave them a little shake.

"He was stronger than you. Even if you're a stronger human than most, it makes sense to…"

"Fight fire with fire?" Robin suggested, fingers tightening as the doctor attempted escape.

"Who is this kid?" Ussop asked her with exasperation, clicking his tongue at the sight of the doctor's tear-dirty face.

"I found him - !"

"She _stole_ me! This is kidnapping!"

"Luckily, he and I ran into each other before the boat could sink."

" _I was pirated_!"

"Robin," Nami said, crooking her head as she looked over at the kid with a start, as if suddenly realizing he was there, "are you sure he's a doctor? He looks…foolish…"

"You're the fool!" Tony shrieked at her, before wiping at his face. "All of you!"

Robin smiled again. "After last night's episode, I was convinced that a doctor would come into handy. We were fated to find him."

"I mean, we could have lured one – I mean, befriended one of our own," Nami said with exasperation, stuffing wads of cash further down her bodice and giving the woman a look. "This one could do disastrous things to us in the name of medicine."

"I was angry," Law said, Zoro looking in his direction. The other's voices continued to float between them, making it difficult for the fisherman to pick out the fishman's words. "I took action because I was forced to. But in the end, it leaves me with no fulfillment. The only reason why things happened was because I'd met Sanji by happenstance. If Doflamingo had used him to coax me out from the depths, then his reasoning to kill me, without me knowing the weight of the circumstances, gives me nothing in the end."

"I could!" Tony vowed angrily, shaking as he clutched his bag close to his chest. "You people just barged into my place of employment and pirated me, like I was some victim - !"

"I mean, how rich is your family to put in effort to find you?" Nami asked tony curiously. "Are they loaded?"

"I don't…" Tony balked, looking up at her before his eyes welled with fresh tears. "I have nobody!"

"It works out," Robin said brightly. "We'll be your family, now!"

" _You people are scary_!"

"How old is this kid?" Nami asked incredulously. "How is he a doctor? What if he doesn't know anything, other than placing a bandaid on a wound?"

" _How dare you_ \- !"

"I mean, now you don't have to wander through the water thinking some guy is gonna find you and kill you," Franky told Law with a gesturing hand, lifting his voice to be heard over the shouts. "So it's a positive thing."

"And you had the chance of being human for a minute," Zoro added, pushing past the others so that he could hear the fishman better.

"Wait, so we're just - ! We're really just _stealing_ off with this guy?" Ussop asked with horror.

"I mean, this is pretty much how I was found," Jimbei muttered. "I was also forced into the whims of you people."

"I didn't ask to be human," Law insisted. He looked down at himself with trouble. "This body is clumsy…I couldn't even swim. Something that I was born to do and suddenly…why should I think that this is a life I'd want?"

"You were shipwrecked," Nami said sourly to Jimbei. "And this is how you repay us. Either join us, or pay the price for our generosity. Which, I guarantee, would earn us a much bigger and grander ship than the one I borrowed."

Jimbei fidgeted with one the lapels to his robe. "I…do not have that much money."

"'Borrowed'," Brook scoffed.

"That solves it!" Nami said cheerfully.

"They stole you, too?" Tony asked Jimbei, looking him over. "But…! But…! You're so big!"

"Let me tell you, size matters not to us," Nami said with satisfaction. "What matters is, can it get the job done?"

"Hear, hear, sister," Robin said with a chuckle.

"Robin!" Franky exclaimed, reddening.

"NO! NO TO THIS CONVERSATION!" Zoro suddenly exclaimed, looking at them with embarrassment. "Can't we go five minutes without it turning into some sick joke?"

"Zoro's a virgin," Nami whispered

"God, I'm starving, and no one cares about it," Luffy muttered bitterly, chin on railing. "No one ever pays attention to me, or says anything positive about what I've done."

"If anything," Tony said with a sniffle in Luffy's direction, "I thought you were pretty strong for a guy your size. I'd never seen someone punch like you can."

"Oh my god, _are_ we pirates?" Ussop cried with horror, hands in the air. Franky caught the binoculars before they could fall.

"Are mermaids capable of spells?" Zoro asked Law skeptically. "I mean, you've got this other magic you've used…maybe others are capable of that sort of thing."

"Wait, how many conversations are happening, here?" Brook asked, confused as he looked up from examining a gold ring.

"So, was this the hand of God," Franky said, looking to Law, "or that of a man that knew what he was doing? How did that conversation go?"

"He confessed to looking for me. He had a purpose, but she died before he could find me," Law stated. "And this…God…I have no weight in that subject, as I don't believe in it."

"Oh, please don't smite me," Nami said hastily, sign of the cross over her chest as she looked up with a pleading expression. "I have nothing to do with his words!"

"You, too, Nami?" Luffy cried with shock.

"Only when it benefits me, but one can't be too careful!"

"I should definitely start," Ussop muttered, hands together. "Because being with you people has convinced me to do such terrible things…like kidnapping!"

"I was kidnapped! Help me, Ussop!" Tony cried.

"Where's Sanji?" Jimbei asked with a bewildered look. "Did we leave him behind?"

"That ninny needs a bath," Zoro said with a roll of his eyes.

"Of course," Law murmured, looking down at the water once more, "now that it's over, I can go back to a life that allowed me much comfort in its peace and silence. With my friends…whom I haven't seen since I've grown legs…tell me, did you hunt them and not say anything?"

"Don't worry, little buddy," Ussop assured Tony, "you and I can stick together. We share the same mindset!"

"But of course," Robin said, releasing Tony, who shuffled over to the man.

"He's so little!" Luffy laughed at Tony, rumpling his hair. "Look at you! Did you even drop your balls, yet?"

"Did _you_?" Nami asked, kicking him and causing him to shriek in an undignified manner, Ussop and Tony hugging each other out of fear. "Everyone! Let's load our loot into the ship. Franky, Ussop, did you dismantle the explosives, or will we die in our sleep later on?"

"We're going to die out here!" Ussop cried with horror, hands to his face.

"Oh, but think of the life we'd save by feeding ourselves to the sea," Robin said, following after her as Brook attempted to pocket some treasure into his trousers.

"Not a trace left," Law said assuredly. "Plus, with the sinking of this ship, I'm sure many merfolk will be pleased by what they can find of your carcasses, and the treasure you've amassed."

"I'll send them to Hell for taking _my_ treasure!" Nami snarled.

"I'm starving, and no one cares!" Luffy cried, sinking against the railing.

"Go fish, then," Zoro scoffed, avoiding Franky as the man picked up one of the bags Nami had carried from one ship to the other. "Feed yourself. When did you get so helpless?"

"SANJI!"

"Will you be returning to the sea, Law?" Robin asked the fishman curiously, giving one last look to the sinking ship in the distance. "Now that it is all over?"

"Yeah. Any minute, now," Law said with a nod, following after the others.

"Then do it before us. I'd like to see your fish form."

" _Any_ minute now," Law assured her, bypassing her and entering the open doorway with the others while Robin watched with amusement.

: :

The dining room was cleaned and dinner was made. Sanji kept himself busy as everyone crowded around the dinner table and spoke noisily. He served them various plates and attended to their needs while they discussed their next plan of action and recounted their brief adventure. Tony hadn't released his doctor's bag, but he ate from his plate with an expression of growing interest and joy as the others relayed their tales and aspirations. Law sat at the end of the table and seemed to sulk over some fish and rice – giving Sanji a glare every time they made eye contact. Sanji kept himself busy just to avoid saying anything to the man, resolved to keep their distance; to keep face in front of the faces of his friends.

Night shimmered over the ship like a ghostly blanket. They didn't need a crew to keep it in operation, their ragtag group with different pieces of personal knowledge guiding the way. But Zoro's and Ussop's voices, along with occasional laughter from the crow's nest assured their wakefulness. The water was dark, glinting from the brilliant light of stars overhead. The crescent moon oozed enough light to show them that the sea was theirs for now.

Sanji approached Law cautiously as the former fishman stared down into the water below. He felt that familiar ache and glow in his chest, paused in mid-movement.

 _Even as a damn brooding human, he is so fucking gorgeous_! Sanji thought, swallowing tightly. He could feel his cheeks flushing as images from Doflamingo's iron ship hit him. Only, the images seemed to change a bit from actual truth; in Sanji's memory, all he saw was a tall, muscular man with perfectly ruffled hair striding barefoot through the wreckage caused by his form.

Sanji was unaware he was drooling at that moment. In his imaginings, Law, with his wet clothes that clung to outrageously glorified muscle, tossed his head to look directly at him with his pouty, regal features. Sanji's heart fluttered dangerously before he realized he was dreaming and drooling.

 _Stop acting like some simpering maiden_! Sanji's inner voice screeched noisily at him. He wiped his mouth. He tried not to show any expression; feeling guilt for his earlier feelings and choices.

"Even if you were a fish," he said, knowing he startled the other man because of the jump he made before he clutched at the railing, "fishes can get cold. It's _cold_ , out here. And somehow, you are wearing no shoes. Are you looking to put that new doctor to the test?"

"He knew that dropping you out here would guarantee my presence," Law said, frowning at the words that seemed to linger like a bad taste.

"Because apparently," Sanji said deliberately, wearing a scowl, "I somehow resemble this other person. Which is somehow bothering me."

"And had saboteurs sink his own ship to guarantee this."

"Whether or not I would actually survive was God's choice in the matter."

Law's scowl weighed heavy on his face. He watched the churning waters lapping at the ship's hull before turning around.

"Was it the one that caused your legs to kick? Was it the one that made you think to put a…a…" He indicated his torso, Sanji looking at him and guessing what he was referring to.

"Life jacket," he supplied sourly.

"… _Those_? Did it make you think to do that? Or was that your own survival instinct, something only _you_ thought of?"

Sanji stared at him blankly. _Being scolded by him and his simple outrage definitely causes a stir in me_ , he thought, hands starting to flutter to his collar. He caught himself, steeled his stance. _I will not be scolded by a simple man_!

"I learned to swim at a young age – it was mandatory. Life jackets are definitely…helpful advice."

"But this was something _you_ did. There wasn't anyone in the sky that night that was actively telling you to do these things, because I didn't hear anything! These were your own actions. Plus, as you've said so before, with your friends confirming this on their own, you're tough to kill. So perhaps it wasn't that choice at all, but it was _your_ choice - !"

"I see you're still angry about those things. I must admit, I am, too," Sanji interrupted, drawing out a cigarette from his jacket pocket. He didn't light it, frowning down at the deck beneath their feet with a slight shake of his head. "But let's put that shit aside. When are you leaving, dumb ass?"

Law gave a disgusted shake of his head, returning his attention to the water. "Any minute, now."

"Robin would like to see your true form. Appease the lady."

After some reflection, Law turned back to face him. "Do _you_ insist that I return to the sea?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"It is!" Law snapped, turning back to the railing and clutching with both hands. "It is! It's home! I had nothing to worry about down there, I didn't have these silly – stupid – human ideals or thoughts or troubles - ! All I had was Shachi and Penguin and all the damn lobster I could eat – none of this stupid clothes wearing, _propriety_ …!"

"Please don't rip those clothes off in this temperature," Sanji said dryly, seeing the man's hands snake to his shirt collar and pull at the suspenders. Yet, even as he said so, seeing the glimpse of tanned, tattooed skin caused his mouth to dry. He swallowed hard.

He sneaked a look towards the crow's nest, but Zoro and Ussop were looking in another direction, involved in some conversation. Zoro was drinking from a bottle and Ussop was fiddling with something that required some angry curses. Their voices were soft in the cold wind, faint; leaving Sanji no indication of their words. He had to be willing that his and Law's voices would appear the same to them.

"Then…go home. If all this shit is something that isn't you, just…leave it behind. Take it as a bad memory. Make new ones if you have to…"

Law exhaled noisily, scowling at the water. His hands dropped back to the railing. He suddenly registered the chill that made his skin ripple with discomfort, but he fought any reaction to it.

" _Any_ minute now," he muttered, fingers clenching and unclenching. His grip left imprints. "I'll change and – be over this stupid shit…I won't even watch humans, anymore. I'll make my home in the deepest trenches, learn to navigate in the dark just to avoid situations like these…"

"Perhaps that sort of thing is necessary," Sanji murmured, lighting up his cigarette. He exhaled heavily. "Now that you know what we…murderous scum are made of, what we're capable of towards others, you can quit those daydreams you might've had towards us."

Law was reluctant to admit he could hear heavy weight in Sanji's tone. He sneaked a glance in the man's direction – it wasn't as if Sanji was pushing him away. No, the man was being stubborn, much like how he was when Law met him. There was relief in Law's heart, but he remained impassive.

He frowned down at the water below. "Or I'll be angry like Kidd and kill humans like I was supposed to do."

"I've had upfront confrontations with that guy," Sanji said thoughtfully. "I wonder who was the sort of companion he'd had that made him so…him."

"Probably another shark. Something as stupid as he is."

"But whoever they were, must've been a companion to cherish. That's not something I should mock…"

"Not that I'd know anything about that. My friends are the only ones I cherish. I feel mad without them. I think your fishing friends ate them."

Sanji thought of Luffy's mallet and intentions towards Ivankov. He wore a skeptical look. "I sincerely doubt that. Luffy wouldn't know how to defeather a penguin to eat it."

Law looked murderously at him, Sanji shrugging. He gestured at the water. "Well, do go on. Turn into a fish, and, oh, wait…"

He rummaged through his pockets until he found the piece of coral, tossing it Law's way. Law didn't think to catch it, the piece flying past him as he stood still. It sailed over the rail and into the water with a splash that went unnoticed, disappearing within the waves.

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CATCH IT, DUMBASS!" Sanji then shouted furiously at him, ripping off his jacket and shoes, making to jump over the railing. His cigarette went out into the water, the glare of the ember bright against the darkness.

Law easily ensnared his shirt with one hand and shoved him backwards, the human skidding over the deck and crashing against one wall of the upper deck with a grunt. In the moments that followed, Law looked down at himself, expecting a change. When nothing happened, he gestured at himself. Sanji did look at him – looked a little too long in certain areas that he shouldn't. His eyes darted back up as a startled expression overwhelmed his face.

 _Oh, you're so pathetic, you disgust me_ , he told himself, faintly embarrassed. _Eyes_ up, _asshole_!

"That was just a placebo," Law said skeptically. He had to wonder if he were a little too rough with his toss; Sanji looked moments from being upset. His face was red, and he wore such a trembling frown as he looked some point away from Law. "Cora wore his in his necklace, but he lost it several times during our travels. Sometimes we'd go for miles or days without it, and nothing happened. Ivankov wanted to amuse herself by thinking I'd believe in her shit by hanging onto it. And besides… _I CAN'T CATCH WITH THESE DAMN HANDS_."

Sitting flat against the wall, Sanji scowled at him. But he lifted a knee to rest an elbow onto it, shivering against the cold that battered them. He waved at the water with one hand. "Then go. Your task was completed. What's keeping you here?"

Law thought about it for a few moments, then looked at the water with distrust. "It looks cold. I might die if I did it, tonight. Maybe tomorrow, in the full sun."

Sanji rolled his eyes, rubbing at his forehead. He accepted that both men were both in the same level of expecting something from the other; Law realized that his reluctance, made simple excuses that were voluntarily leaving his lips, was embarrassingly obvious. It made his temper that much shorter; Sanji was angry at himself for continuously pushing with hands that refused to let go. The obviousness of their feelings was so thick in the air, but both of them were hideously stubborn.

Law swallowed tightly. "But I could change my mind… _any minute now_ …"

"Will you stop saying that? You're giving me a migraine. You're the most indecisive fish I'd ever known. No wonder you all flock in one group – many of your brains put together create one active brain…"

"I feel nothing for the actions of today," Law snarled angrily, hitting the railing with a clenched fist. "I should feel the anger I started to feel when he confessed to what he'd done, but it's gone, now. Which is why I am saying, _insisting_ , that Corazon put a spell on me. Somehow."

"Maybe to numb you from the trauma felt? Witnessing…multiple deaths in front of you, seeing his…maybe so. That's an answer that you won't find with humans. We aren't capable of magic."

"Because you believe in invisible deities…"

Sanji sighed noisily, rising to his feet. He slid his shoes back on, and swept his jacket back over his torso, adjusting and refitting until every button was in place. Law found himself caught by the way Sanji's hair fluttered in the cold breeze – how every angle in his face pushed against the shadows. When he looked at Law with his blue eyes, Law swore he'd lose his train of thought again. How the tailored clothing presented a rather…princely picture compared to whom he'd met in the first place. Sanji was the figure in the books Law had rifled through, but Law had never given those particular books a second glance. He found himself regretting that he had.

He looked away with frustration, fist clenched. Focus, _idiot_! he told himself.

"Aren't you dead?" Law then asked with grinding annoyance. He was growing distempered with the way he just couldn't stop talking to the princely figure. His mouth seemed to be running without weight; it almost felt like he was stalling.

 _Of course I'm stalling_ , he thought with frustration.

 _I'd regret losing this for the rest of my life_ , Sanji thought, looking at the other man's back with eyes that felt heavy with fear and remorse. He took a deep breath, commanded his voice to remain strong and unemotional.

"I am obviously standing before you, breathing in this fresh oxygen, fish for brains."

"If you are dead," Law said slowly, "then perhaps meaningless loyalty to a deity that has sworn you dead is a waste of energy. Shit for brains. Ass. Mr Blackleg."

Sanji bit his lips as Law released these mutterings with clear antagonization. He couldn't help but feel amused, and he fought the feeling. He refused to look upward towards the sky, but he did sneak another glance towards the pair in the crow's nest. They were laughing and swatting at each other. It made Sanji cringe at the sight of their freedoms before he caught himself.

 _I_ am _dead, so why am I still clinging to something that_ …? He thought, making a face of exasperation for his own actions. _I've sinned…multiple times…and none of them I've regret._

"I am dead to the living, yes," he then said slowly, "which is fine and dandy because that sort of titled life was a bore. This…this one with my friends, it's more satisfying. I haven't felt more alive than when I am with them. Adventure beckons."

"Well, being human so far has been riddled with problems. Humans are problematic. I have lived a peaceful life, and this…" Law trailed off, thinking about the days that dragged past him. Thinking how every time a human ship passed, his attention was riveted, filled with thoughts of wonder. Now that he was actively standing atop of one, looking down at the world he'd briefly left below, it felt perplexing that he was taking so long to return to it. He drummed his fingers against the cold wood, which was soft and yet rigid beneath his grip. His thumbs smoothed around and over it, wondering what material was capable of protecting this material so strongly that it resisted the sea's hungry teeth above it. He tilted his head upward, catching sight of the sails that had been furled for the night, wondering just how strong an anchor had to be to rivet this massive bulk atop of the moving seascape.

Sanji sighed noisily, noticing that Law's attention was turned elsewhere. Hearing the sound snapped Law back to attention, and he blushed ever so slightly.

"Anyway, I shall change back and return to my life down there, wondering what the point was to all of this madness," Law muttered, propping both hands atop of the railing and looking down at the waters below. The soft foam collecting against the ship's walls seemed to glimmer against the crescent moon's light. They weren't moving, but he felt like they were still charging forward. His toes gripped the cold surface underneath. Every part of him felt so weighty with reluctance.

He looked back at Sanji. "Lift and throw me in."

"Do it yourself," Sanji said, amused. "Push up and over."

"These limbs - !" Law snapped, hitting the railing with both hands and causing that section to crumble and collapse noisily, causing him to stand back with surprise.

The door nearby slammed open, Franky stepping out, both men looking at him with alarm.

"You have the ears of a bat, Franky?" Sanji asked incredulously as Law wore a guilty look.

"Is it necessary to break the ship in fits of rage?" Franky asked, tone sharpening as he speared Law with a look. His heavy bulk caused the floorboards to creak as he ventured out. He opened his mouth to continue admonishing when his eyes flit upward then his menacing appearance flattened out to something more composed. "Sorry. Just…try not to break anything important. We might be in the Dream's capable hands for a little while longer. I'll fix it tomorrow, no problems."

Sanji tried not to panic at the thought that they were being supervised, but upon review of their confrontation thus far, nothing had been damning. Then he realized _that_ was the problem. Franky said a few things to Law that Sanji didn't hear, Sanji lost in thought, and a few moments later, the bigger man retreated back into the ship. Slowly, Sanji adjusted the lapels of his jacket to sooth shaking hands. He ended up stuffing them into his jacket pockets.

"Don't go," he said quietly, keeping his eyes down on the railing for focus. He thought that if he should look the other man in his eyes, he'd lose courage. "Just…you were given an opportunity, abuse it."

"I feel like sand, and I don't know why."

"Because you're dehydrated, you ass! I haven't seen you drink anything since last night's dinner!"

"Is that what that is? Thirst? Hmm. What a menacing feeling."

"There's plenty to see and experience," Sanji then said, lighting up. He closed the distance between them, arm around Law's shoulders as he gestured out at the night. "Eating new foods, experiencing different adventures…learning a new language, or even, perhaps, seeing mountains and trees. You like those paintings down there, don't you? Don't you want to see the real thing?"

Law did feel a certain push in that direction. He'd scan small islands with some curiosity, watching birds flit from tree to tree, watching grass bend in the wind. He wondered what rocks felt like underneath his feet, and thought about sunscapes painted above the treeline in paintings he'd found in shipwrecks. He thought about the café scenes, the sights of villages in books; while he hadn't any interest in food, he did think about why humans spoke so differently sometimes while they sailed in ships with different flags attached to them.

But then he thought of the comfort in darkness, the quiet in the depths of the water. Having only Penguin and Shachi as companions to tell him tales of human beings. He turned and scanned the waters, shrugging off Sanji's arm.

"Where are my friends?" he wondered out loud. "Perhaps their opinion would be more valuable."

"Mine isn't?"

"You'd somehow convince me of something disastrous, just like this situation."

"I didn't convince you to do this at all! You had your own mind set, you fool." Sanji angrily combed through his hair. He turned to look away and noticed that both Zoro and Ussop were looking straight at them, their expressions stiff; not with any negative emotion, but faces that were created to drive Sanji insane when they focused it upon him. "What the hell do you guys want? Are you spying on us? Looking for entertainment? Jack yourselves off, you fools! You want entertainment, get your asses down here and let me kick them for you!"

Law looked upward to see Zoro and Ussop watching them, but their expressions were rather foolish in nature. Sanji removed a shoe to throw at them, the pair of them ducking awkwardly to avoid being hit.

"What were you saying about impulse?" Law asked Sanji skeptically, the former prince freezing in place. "I probably need a deeper explanation as to why impulses are the wrong thing to fall back upon when emotions take over – "

" _You_ , close your mouth. Do whatever you want. I don't care. USSOP! I better see my shoe sitting aside my door in the morning, or else!"

"You can't threaten me with something you did!" Ussop shouted back at him. "I'm not afraid of you! Not when I'm way up here!"

"What's with the temperament?" Zoro asked, elbows braced before him. "Sounds like you're up to something."

"Fuck off!"

Law looked at Sanji, forehead crinkling ever so slightly as he stood in mute silence.

Zoro tutted. "Flying off the handle like usual – it weirds me out that you were a prince. I can't imagine you ever being composed."

"It's _you_ guys that send me into such a tizzy!"

Ussop leaned far over the rail, laughing noisily. Sanji ripped off his other shoe and hurled it at him. After ducking, Ussop shouted, "All we have to do is breathe to send you into vapors!"

" _I will_ _destroy you all_ \- !"

"There's that Vinsmoke dictator blood!"

Law clapped a hand on Sanji's shoulder as the blond snarled, reddening in the face and intending on marching over to the rope ladder. Startled as he was reminded of the fishman's presence, Sanji brushed himself off and struggled for composure.

"When I heard you speaking to Doflamingo," Law said slowly, Sanji angrily fixing his hair and straightening his collar, "you spoke in a completely different manner, and seemed much more composed."

"Well, of course," Sanji muttered, fists in his jacket pockets. "That's the persona he was familiar with. That's…what everyone expected of me."

"And this one…?"

"Well, I mean…sometimes, certain people draw out sides of you that you didn't know existed. Sometimes, it's hard to catch one's self when they're behaving much like a stranger."

Thinking about that, Law gave a grim frown, then nodded. "I see."

Sanji watched him warily. "What's that about?"

"If I hadn't met you, I would have never acted out of my element. And yet…here I am, standing before you…as a human."

"…Yes?"

"And before you met me, you hadn't exhibited certain _prohibited_ behaviors."

Sanji coughed into one hand, glancing about before nodding. He wore a difficult expression. "Of course not."

"So, with that context in mind…you feel free to exhibit certain behaviors in front of your friends that you couldn't before with…your family. As a prince. You are not a prince."

"I am…not a prince. Technically, I am now dead. A free man."

Law glanced from him to the pair watching them from the crow's nest, then back to Sanji again. Sanji watched him, puzzled by Law's thinking, wondering where he was going with this observation.

But Law said nothing more on the matter. He gave another nod. "Tomorrow, I will return to the sea. But for now, I am tired."

"Wait. What…what's on your damn mind? Finish what you've started."

"You promised to show me the world. I want to see it."

"…I did," Sanji said slowly, using a hand to cover the smile of relief that instantly caused his lips to spread. From behind his hand, he said, "And this is the opportunity to do it."

Law didn't miss the change in the air, and the sight of relief on Sanji's face. Despite his actions and his words, the human truly didn't want Law to go. But it didn't make sense that the human couldn't just say that. Was it part of the rule that Sanji had set? What was wrong with words?

Admittedly, he couldn't bring himself to say anything, either.

 _So, this is probably just a male thing_ , he thought to himself. _A universal understanding that males are incapable of expressing certain words or…okay_.

Was that something Corazon had felt when he didn't tell Law the truth? He'd have to think about that later.

Law looked at Sanji cautiously. "But at any minute, I can choose to turn human and go home."

Sanji grabbed the back of Law's right arm. He lowered his other hand once he felt more composed. "You mean turn _fish_ and go home."

"…Right. Yes, that."

"I'm sorry," Sanji then said. The weight of his apology felt too heavy for him to allow his head to remain up. So it lowered so he could focus on the surface at their feet; he struggled to say something that he wouldn't mess up; in the back of his mind, he still felt the presence of judgement that would retaliate against his true feelings. "I…I've been a shitty person."

"Of course you have," Law said, a little outraged. "Mr Blackleg."

Sanji squeezed his biceps while trying to quell a growing smile of amusement, then looked at the man's arm with irritation. He slapped that rigid muscle with exasperation. "You're absurdly hard."

"You keep touching me, so it must appeal to you."

" _Shhh_ ," Sanji hissed at him, covering his mouth and darting a glance upward towards the crow's nest, but Zoro and Ussop were back to hand flinging conversation and laughter. "Saying those things is part of the prohibited rule."

"I am tired of not knowing these human rules, and being scolded for something that, apparently, is a rule." Law looked up at the pair above their heads, then gestured at them towards Sanji. "They're two men, aren't they? Looking at them from this position, aren't they doing something that could be considered prohibited?"

"Men can laugh and joke freely because they're friends! This thing between us, it's…! It's different. It's - !"

"It's what? _Wrong_? Same sex relationships are not a threat in my world, so why is it a big threat up here? It makes more sense that two men of….of considerable strength and power would be twice to fear in terms of power."

Sanji stared at him for several moments, blinking repeatedly. Law gestured at him. "You feel threatened by their words and laughter, reverting back to some rather…unattractive behaviors, so do you fear their judgement?"

"I don't!" Sanji said with outrage. "Threatened by moss and nose? _NO_! Absolutely not, it's just – their teasing just tends to drive me insane, it's - !"

"Friends tease each other, right? It's part of the comfort in closeness – _those_ two tease me all the time, and I might threaten them with various promises, but it doesn't mean I'm actually going to crawl into Shachi's insides to hide the fact I'm eating Penguin with my fingers. I'm not actually going to do that. And they can trust that I won't – because - !"

"Okay, okay, I get it. I just…"

"If they can accept that you're some…dictator former prince and allow your sheltered behavior amongst them, then what makes you think making googly eyes at me is going to make them think any different? Or are you still cowering from the invisible sky man?"

Sanji sighed noisily, jiggling one leg as he turned away with impatience. "I don't make that face at you, c'mon…"

"Like I don't feel you raking my flesh with your invasive staring, and you're always touching me under the guise of other things!"

"I'll gouge my damn eyes out, then! I can't help these things, I…!" Sanji cut himself off sharply, the back of his hand against his sputtering mouth as he searched the dark water around them for an answer. Then his hands went nervously to his clothes, checking buttons, forcing the lapels of his jacket flat, pulling at the waist hem; anything to keep them busy. Law frowned after him, unconsciously rubbing at the area where Sanji had been grasping his arm.

"Tell me the truth. Is it physically harming anybody around you whenever you do these things?"

"…No."

"I mean, it's already suspicious enough, isn't it? Hiding it is the same as feeling ashamed of my existence – making me feel like a mistake!"

"Why do you keep saying that?" Sanji then asked him, turning on a heel to face him. "This is some insecurity you're continuously sprouting, like someone convinced you of it before you met me."

"Don't try to change the subject. If I accept your promise to show me the world, then I demand to have acceptable answers to my questions."

"You 'demand', huh?"

Law then reached out to unbutton the top piece that caused Sanji's shirt collar to sit so stiffly on his skin, Sanji's expression changing immediately.

 _Just imagine_ , Sanji thought, unaware of how his face glowed with overflowing awe, _doing this in a completely different setting_ …

He caught himself immediately. _No, wait_ , DON'T _think about that_!

"You look like a turtle with its neck caught in a fishing line."

Sanji caught his hands before he could pull them back, looking at him with sincerity. Law looked at him, startled at the contact, face pulled with indecision. For a moment, Sanji looked up at him in sheer awe, enraptured by the man's features.

 _I might have been a prince_ , he thought, his own inner voice stuttering, _but he's the king of…GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!_

His hands tightened so hard that Law made a face.

"I don't regret meeting you, nor any of the things between us. I am happier knowing what can happen between us. I never felt that sort of freedom before, and I don't think you were ever a mistake – "

" _Ugh_ , when you look at me like that, I have the urge to flee for somewhere safe. Your weird eyes turn all wet and soft and it does something to my chest that makes me think I should save myself."

Sanji threw his hands away from him with a roar, Law turning away with a hand to his own chest to somehow calm the hard throbbing of his heart, certain it was some odd adrenaline rush.

"Sometimes, talking to you is similar to talking to those idiots over there, and it drives me crazy – are you capable of even - ? I can't even - ! _You're_ the one with the weird eyes, I can't believe this - ! Trying to talk to you seriously, let loose of my innermost thoughts, and you say stupid shit – I can't take you seriously, the only thing I regret is your dumb mouth!"

"Anyway," Law mumbled, rubbing at his chest, "all this loss of oxygen and lip flapping has made my throat dry and it's starting to bother me."

"I feel like tossing you overboard," Sanji muttered, fixing his collar, his face and neck red with embarrassment. He used his fingers to then rub over his eyes, to wipe away this 'wet and soft' appearance they had.

"Hey, Mr Monkey!" Zoro called down, drawing their attention upward, "need a hankie for them tears?"

"I got one right here!" Ussop cried, laughing as he caused material to flap in the cold breeze, revealing the item as a stained handkerchief.

" _Shut up, assholes_!"

Sanji stalked back into the ship, door slamming and cracking behind him. Law watched this with a slight shake of his head, unsure how one could go from ice-cold to burning lava within mere moments. He couldn't imagine this being ever being part of his underwater world – the ocean itself would probably fry-boil whenever Sanji threw a fit. The thought caused his lip to twitch with amusement.

"You okay, down there?" Ussop asked, folding his arms to lean against the bucket. "Mind frazzled, already?"

Law glanced at him then looked away, causing Ussop to snarl and stand, shaking a fist.

"Hey! Don't ignore me! Snob! Stuck up! You won't get a wife with that attitude!"

"Hey, mermaid guy," Zoro interrupted, Ussop huffing and adjusting his jacket once he was sure Law felt battered by his insults. "You staying with us?"

Law looked over the dark waters once more, hoping for some sort of sign from Shachi or Penguin. He felt lonely, worried for their wellbeings; but without a way to send them a message, he held hope that they'd find him. Shachi was good at smelling things from a distance; maybe he'd register the sunken iron ship and track Law on this path.

Then he found himself thinking about Corzon's missing tail, hearing his own young voice cry out with horror.

' _Where's his tail_?'

The jagged pieces of the mermaid was a blur in his memory; with his experience with humans, surely it took more than just a human to kill a merfolk. He looked at the section of railing he'd accidentally broke with his hands. He furrowed his brow, wondering just what type of predator Doflamingo was. He couldn't shake the feeling of what he'd felt facing off with the man.

Kidd was strong, but how much stronger?

"He ignored you, too!" Ussop gasped, hands on his hips as he looked to Zoro. Zoro shrugged. " _Rude_! Maybe you can teach him some manners."

"I don't care about that. I think it's pretty obvious he's not going anywhere. But…" Zoro squinted out into the sprawling darkness of the sea, the waves considerably gentle for the area. The crescent moon provided just enough light for him to see that their lights were the only blight in the silent sprawl of water and stars. "I don't like how he keeps looking down, like he's…waiting for something. Something or somebody. Those explosives might come into handy if he's worried about it."

"How do explosives work?"

Ussop choked, head snapping around. " _What kind of hearing do you have_?"

Zoro lifted his eyebrows, finishing off the last of his bottle. He tucked that away into his pack, looking down at Law as he waited for an answer. "How do those ears work?"

"You could hear us all this time? Sanji was doing his best to keep his conversation with you low," Ussop said skeptically.

"I can hear things underwater that are happening miles away," Law said impatiently. "It's not that different here."

Ussop crouched out of his sight, looking at Zoro. He whispered from behind one cupped hand, "Bet he can't hear me when I do this!"

"You're the one that worked with the explosives," Law said, crossing his arms. "So, you tell me."

"HE HEARD ME!"

"Those are some unusual talents," Zoro said, looking down at Law as Ussop squirmed with discomfort, still hiding.

"We can remote detonate if possible," Ussop said, finally peering up and over to look down at the man that stared up at them. He crouched again. "Are you sure he's not some sort of fish prince? I'm intimidated!"

Zoro kicked him impatiently. "Why? We gonna need them?" he asked Law. "For what?"

"I don't think Doflamingo is dead. But…you should at least have a plan. Out here, we are not safe. Like the krakan, he could be some monstrous animal capable of swallowing ships whole. I will live – I don't know about all of you."

Ussop shook violently, hands pressed to his mouth as he looked with renewed fear at the dark sea around them. Zoro wore a vague expression of concern. He then gave a nonchalant wave. "We will count on luck, then."

"LUCK WILL NOT SAVE US FROM A _KRAKEN_!" Ussop shrilled, then lowered his voice hastily.

"What sort of monster?" Robin asked suddenly, startling all three of them. She smiled at Law's shocked expression as she revealed herself from the shadows of the upper deck's balcony. "Oh? I'm sorry, I thought you all knew I was standing here."

"ROBIN! You're a ghost!" Ussop accused.

Her face remained bright. "How many mythical monsters are down there, sir? Things that can swallow us whole, or things that require a few chomps?"

" _ROBIN_!"

"When you say it like that, it makes me a little nervous," Zoro admitted, looking discomfited.

"I've seen many, but I'm not sure what he could be," Law admitted. The unwanted image hit him again. "Definitely something with…big teeth that could tear apart a merfolk."

"The sea will be tinted red with our blood," Robin murmured, eyes widening with delight and sending Ussop into convulsions.

"How are we to know for sure?" Zoro asked with a grim frown.

Law shrugged. Combing a hand through his hair, he then left the conversation by walking through the doorway Sanji had barged through earlier. Ussop squealed, widely awake with fear as he scanned the dark waters around them, Zoro frowning. Robin's gloved hands went to her mouth, but he was sure she was just hiding her excitement.

: :

Sanji stared at the book on his nightstand, nervously clutching his knees with both hands. Like the others on the ship that weren't on deck, he was dressed and ready for bed. So the flowing white flannel nightgown that he wore skimmed his calves, the collar loose around his neck. To preserve the state of his hair, he'd clipped on the nightcap as well. He thought about the conversation on deck, knee jiggling nervously. He had yet to open the book since his arrival on the Tangerine Dream. His own copy was worn and dog-earred, certain passages marked or folded. This one…well…

 _I don't regret anything_ , he thought morosely. _Because what fills me with joy and freedom is…it's a form of love, and there's nothing wrong with that. Admittedly, some of the perverse things I've taken part of would cause anyone to faint, but…those are things I feel strongly about. They make me…happy…_

'It makes more sense that two men of…considerable strength and power would be twice to fear in terms of power.'

Sanji himself was a man that most respected and feared because he beat his opinion into them, or caused men to be weak-kneed due to his preaching commands. Or…perhaps it was his family name, but he was considered a powerful man. Law could break through metal walls with his body, collapse a railing with his hands – throw a freaking boat! If they were a pair, they'd be a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps…a fighting force against a God.

He shook his head fiercely. No. He shouldn't go that far.

He plucked at his collar with unease, looking over at the closet. While he felt relief that Law made up his own mind on the matter, it was frustrating for Sanji for not being able to express himself properly. He'd done fine when he thought he'd die out there; the words spilled out of his mouth, his control over his ethics and morals slipped, and…he'd had a wonderful time.

So what if Law wasn't a woman? Wasn't Sanji's feelings for the man similar in function? He felt in love with a man; thought of him as exquisite, could wax poetry just at the sight of the fishman's side profile alone. And those other things…well, wouldn't men in love with a woman feel similarly? How was this _wrong_?

 _Stop it,_ he told himself sternly. _You feel what you feel, and right now, you feel gratitude that you have more time with him. That stupid_ beautiful _fish with shit for brains._

He flopped backward against his bed, looking up at the ceiling. Various imagery of Law in clothes and out of them flashed over his vision. The sight of his defined, very hard muscles under Sanji's palm. The sunken indentures of the 'v' that dropped down to a bushy – Sanji slapped his hands over his face to force the vivid imagery away. He wore an annoyed expression as he exhaled to get a hold of himself.

"You're a silly, randy kid all over again," he muttered bitterly. "As a man, you should be more in control of yourself. Think of practical things – surely, in the events that conspired today, this should encourage more engaging thoughts that aren't all…desire and- and hunger. After all, how often does one see a human being being punched through walls?"

He reviewed the memory, but all he could see was how Law's muscles rippled underneath his wet shirt.

 _I should gouge out my eyes_ , he then thought, rolling over onto his side. "Because I can't stop looking at him."

"Looking at whom?" Law demanded, slamming the door open and causing Sanji to jump, crawling over to the other side of the bed to put space between them. Once he realized he wasn't in any danger, he flung a pillow at the man as he closed the door behind him. The pillow bounced off Law's face, but his expression changed from demanding to puzzled. "Did you borrow that dress from Miss Nami? What is on your head?"

"It's not a dress," Sanji hissed at him, embarrassed for his reaction. "KNOCK before you enter one's room. I could've been doing something that was considered private."

"…Like wearing a dress?"

Fuming, Sanji sat on the bed, throwing back the blankets. "Perhaps both of us should retire to get some rest. After all, it was a very…busy day. A ship was sunk, a battle was won. These are the things that create tall tales. Surely you're as exhausted as the rest of us."

"I only sleep when I'm tired," Law said, narrowing his eyes. Sanji gave him a bewildered look, clearly not understanding. He rose from the bed with impatience, gesturing at the closet.

"Tomorrow is another day, and – "

"Are you…not wearing that constraining piece of cloth underneath that?"

"I…normally don't need to under a nightgown." Sanji took a deep breath, struggling not to become modest as he realized Law's eyes were focused on that area. He pulled at the flannel, then gestured again at the closet. "Please, get some sleep."

"We're conversing in private, yes?"

Sanji gave him a desperate look, knowing he would be weak to any protest. But because the setting was right, he felt there was no need to evade or avoid. His physical reaction to the possibilities made any other practical thinking disappear. "Just make sure to lock the door. And did you see anyone walking about in that hall?"

Law locked the door and then stalked towards him. "No."

"I've brushed my teeth, washed my face and hands, and -!" Sanji sputtered uselessly before Law picked him up and tossed him onto the bed. He bounced once and landed onto the floor, Law giving a sheepish cringe.

"Oops."

" _For fuck's sake_! Make this _romantic_ , you stupid fish!"

"I don't know what that is," Law said, crawling over the bed and hauling him back up onto it with one hand. He then pushed Sanji onto his bed, sitting astride of him as Sanji snarled angrily at the treatment.

"I'm not a damned toy! Unhand me and do this properly," Sanji snapped at him as his collar was grabbed and yanked open. He decided to throw away his demands when Law's hand crept underneath the material and grabbed roughly at one pectoral. Sanji managed to shaky laugh, pushing his nightcap off of his head before reaching up with both hands and pulling Law's head to his. Sanji kissed him roughly as Law's fingers grabbed and clutched before moving to his nipple, fiddling with pleasing pressure.

Law hungrily kissed him, moving away from his mouth and inhaling deeply of Sanji's clean skin around his jaw, enjoying the scent of him as Sanji's fingers moved through his hair, clutching briefly at his ears. Law then shifted the collar open, pulling most of it aside so that he could press kisses at the exposed skin. He grew impatient with the material in his way, reaching down to tug at the hem of the frustrating piece of clothing, Sanji sputtering as he heard material rip.

"You are being so impatient, hold on, let me remove it myself," Sanji said before Law yanked the material up and over his head, Sanji's arms briefly caught within the sleeves. He managed to yank them out and cover himself with a dismayed sound as Law tossed it away. "You should calm yourself, sir, before you end things early."

"I'm excited," Law said heavily, eyes practically glowing as he examined the man's bared skin beneath him, "because you didn't let me go."

 _Oh_ , Sanji thought wistfully, changing attitude at the admission. _Oh, that's lovely…I shouldn't have been so stubborn, he was aching to hear those words!_

He ripped the other man's shirt open, vaguely hearing buttons fly. His breathing began to quicken as his hands moved over pectorals that seemed to ripple under his touch. Incredibly, at this point in time, he felt like he was going to faint just from the sight of the other man's beauty.

"There's those weird eyes again," Law muttered, Sanji being too distracted by watching his own fingers trace and pinch at his nipples.

"Every time I'm treated to the sight of your damn, godly body, which seems to have been crafted by an artist's hands, I lose my head. It's a shitty compliment! I don't go gooey-eyed towards other men, god damn it!"

"A compliment," Law repeated, standing briefly to unbutton and remove his pants. Sanji's hands moved from his chest to his waist and hips, following the path of the trousers Law had to shimmy out of. "These things are things I was never conscious of."

"I sometimes desire you to the point of incomprehension, and then you ruin it by opening your mouth," Sanji snapped at him, his face blooming with a blush as he was treated to the sight of the man's genitals.

 _I've never lost my head at the sight of a man's parts, before_ , he registered briefly, new to this shivery, almost molten hot desire that fired his own blood. _I don't even recognize myself, anymore_.

He reached out as Law struggled to kick one foot out from the material that pooled at his ankles. Sanji lightly curled his fingers around Law's penis as it swung with his movements. He was already familiar with the organ, but now that the fishman was human, it was an area that seemed like new territory to explore. It wasn't as intimidating, now. He was alarmed and amazed at how his mouth watered, suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to have a taste. He remembered walking in on the men enjoying this type of pleasure.

"Let me try something," he said, vaguely aware of how husky his voice had fallen, swallowing tightly. "I really want to try it."

"I…that look makes me nervous," Law admitted with uncertainty, finally kicking his trousers aside and shifting so that Sanji was on his knees in front of him. His stomach seemed to flip flop as Sanji looked up at him, his expression alone causing Law to remain standing, eager to find out what he wanted.

"I saw this happen, I've never experienced it for myself, but…do try and tell me what's good for you, okay?" Sanji instructed him, lowering his eyes to visually devour the sight of the hardening organ near his face. He leaned forward with a deep inhale, shaken by how much he enjoyed the scent. He'd never thought he'd experience this type of hungry feeling, before. He'd never imagined himself in a place where he was happily sniffing another man's private areas.

 _No wonder,_ he thought, experiencing a combination of seemingly uncontrollable desire as he rubbed one cheek against the wiry pubes before venturing close enough to the organ to trace with his lips. _No wonder those men were enjoying themselves_ …!

Law's thoughts were in a jumble, but no word came to mine as he watched Sanji clearly enjoy rubbing his face against him. He was puzzled by the concept, having never seen this type of enjoyment amongst the merfolk he'd seen. He vaguely remembered Sanji saying something like this, but the words in his head weren't exactly putting themselves together to create a clear thought. The moment Sanji opened his mouth to taste his penis, Law made to retreat because he thought he'd be devoured. But the soft, wet sensation over his cock made his mind jolt in other directions. He hissed because the sensation was intense; Sanji didn't remove his mouth but his eyes rolled up to judge his reaction and Law's most basic thoughts were scattered somewhere in the sea. He was struck entirely dumb just by that brief eye contact, Sanji's lip curling over his sensitive flesh and his tongue rubbing briefly over the tip. He pulled his head back, smacking his lips and exploring the new taste by rolling his tongue from side to side.

He wiped his lips. "That's certainly a very different taste and sensation, isn't it? Is it okay for me to continue?"

Law uttered something that could have been a positive because Sanji leaned forward again. He opened his mouth wide to accompany the the width and length, Law squeezing his eyes shut as the sensations burned his blood. His body wanted to do something, to move, but all his muscles tensed and strained as Sanji's tongue rubbed and licked as he drew his head back. Without releasing, he surged forward, then gagged, releasing and drawing his head back with an awkward laugh.

"I suppose practice is in order for a better performance," he chuckled, wiping his mouth. "It makes my jaw feel a little sore."

Law made to sit because his legs were feeling a little unsteady, but Sanji steadied him with his hands on his hips, fingers clenching insistently. He closed his mouth around his dick once more, exploring the taste and texture with careful consideration to teeth on skin. He sucked as he pulled his head back, one hand curling around the base to hold steady. He found himself enjoying the act, incredulous to the feeling. _Never had he imagined_ …!

While his technique wasn't perfect or practiced, seeing that he had this godly man weak in the knees and watching him with a riveted expression gave Sanji some confidence and power. The taste of Law's dick changed with his excessive saliva; faint hints of mint and ash from his cigarette habit. His mouth grew tired after a few minutes, and he pulled away reluctantly, a little disappointed with his lack of prowess in the act.

Law was grateful to move onto his knees, legs shaky. He pushed Sanji down onto his back, his own hands moving down towards the turgid length that seemed so happy just by Sanji pleasing _him_. He gave the man a couple of strokes that had Sanji murmuring with pleasure, arching up into his touch while he reached up to grab onto Law's shoulders. Law's hand left his cock, moving down to briefly handle his balls before smoothing down to his hole, which Sanji tightened with response.

"I want to go here," Law told him firmly.

"Good god, you're only human for the third night and already you're planning on conquering uncharted territory!" Sanji scoffed at him, tightening his thighs. "That's a concept that makes me nervous!"

"But you've come to like it when my finger does this," Law reminded him with just a fingertip, feeling the way Sanji tightened even further at the slight invasion.

"I do, but…! Your skin isn't producing the type of – of oil that - ! Wait," Sanji then said, shoving him away and reaching for the nightstand. He held up the oil that he'd used earlier on his hands. He poured a little onto Law's hand, watching the other man's face as he then proceeded to smear the substance over that one finger. He added more for assurance, capping the bottle and tossing it nearby. "That should suffice. Go. I'm ready. Kiss me while you do it."

"That," Law said, fully enjoying his commands as his face warmed with a smile, "is something I can do."

 _He could convince me to kill everyone on board if he said it wearing that look_ , Sanji thought in a daze, willingly pliant in the man's grasp as Law forced him back into their previous position. All thoughts were lost once he felt the familiar push up into his body, his throat tightening as he struggled to hold his breath. He remembered he didn't have to hold his breath – they weren't under water, they were both breathing oxygen. It would have to be a habit he'd have to rid himself of; just _breathing_.

His body enthusiastically took the penetration, both of them moving eagerly against each other in conditioned movement. With the oil remaining on his hand, Sanji stroked Law between them, their mouths occupied while they adjusted their movements without the comfort of water holding them. The frustration that came as the result of somewhat awkward actions only seemed to make their actions more determined. The blanket and pillows that had neatly occupied the bed were either tossed to the floor or kicked into a disheveled mess. Skin was marked with eager mouths, limbs grasped and pinned. Hair was grabbed and ruffled by clutching hands.

Before Sanji could even think, Law was inside of him, and his vocal reaction was muffled by his own hand as his body fell into a state of shock. The sensation of pain flared over the hot heat he had been experiencing, his torso lifting from the bed to try and escape. But what shocked him more as pained tears burnt at his eyelids was the sudden acknowledgement for more. More movement, more sensation, to need to complete this new act. It sent a shudder through him that evolved into arching his head back, biting his hand to keep from shouting. He felt Law touching him, their bodies sweaty and hot as the bigger man panted for breath, but Sanji was amazed at how much this invasive contact made his own body react. Instead of escaping pain, it seemed to cry with delight; acknowledging that he had a part of Law inside of his body, that he could feel the new movement deep inside of him, that he felt _complete_.

Though he still emitted pained noises, his hips pushed upward, as if trying to allow his legs to open further. To alleviate the discomfort, but also to embrace it; take more of it. He was actively embracing something he'd thought of dirty and perverse, but he couldn't get enough of it. Every part of him wanted it; actively trying to stay quiet, he used his legs to push Law out and away from him.

Without using words, his hands were shaking and yet hurried as he indicated that they turn to a new position. He grabbed what was left of the blankets, muffling his mouth as he rolled onto his stomach, using his other hand to indicate that Law should enter him from behind. Once he felt the hot, stabbing movement, Sanji ground out his shout into the blanket.

Law had to catch his breath; every part of his body felt so hot and explosive, but where they were connected felt even hotter than that. He was uncomfortable with the tightening sensation that felt like a hard pinch because he knew he was hurting the other man. But Sanji's hand, reaching back to hold him in place, was more than enough encouragement. Adjusting himself to press in and stopping movement only to steady himself, Law felt he now understood why those merfolk were so shameless in their actions, openly showing off their wanton behavior to whoever watched. Both connection with the other person, the overwhelming sensations caused by the act was enough to lose mind and reason over.

He braced himself over Sanji with one hand, the other gripping one hot, sweaty hip. He had to be mindful of his strength, hand shaking as he deliberately loosened his fingers that still left imprints on pale skin. He could hear Sanji muffling his pained noises into the blankets that he'd piled and held against his face, but the human was also pushing against him, encouraging movement.

 _I am connected_ , Law thought mindlessly, unsure of what he truly meant. _I am connected_.

"Move!" Sanji ground out, voice muffled. " _Move_!"

Law struggled to speak, his lower half so hot and sensitive that he felt movement would cause him to explode; he didn't want to end things that early. He released his hip and reached up to draw his fingers down Sanji's back, watching red marks appear as he drew his hand down over trembling back muscles. He was in awe of the human's appearance in this state; always in awe of Sanji's responses to him, how enthusiastic he was towards Law's efforts. Law marveled over the arched back that made muscles pop, over sweaty hair that clung to a reddened face. The sight of Sanji turning his head to look at him - eyes wet with barely contained tears, desperation and want absolutely clear in his expression - to see why he was still caused Law's heart to skip a few beats and his lungs to tighten.

He adjusted their position, pulling Sanji's hips up high and forcing one of the man's hands to his own straining length; just like how Law had seen male merfolk mate. Law then moved cautiously, hearing Sanji muffle his voice once more as his entire body shuddered, tightening around Law's dick with considerable strength. Sanji then released himself to brace against the bed, panting and whimpering.

Despite his earlier determination, Law felt himself start to release in Sanji, and he pulled out with both frustration and pleasure, watching as his cum splattered onto sweaty skin and rumpled bedding. His body felt so loose and useless, trembling with an orgasm that practically swept his mind of thought. He almost lost strength in his arms, catching himself before he could collapse against the other man. But he did clumsily brace against him, twitching dick nestled between oil-slicked skin, still hard and wet with release. He reached underneath Sanji, pulling and stroking at his length as carefully as he could. With his other hand, he administered healing touches to the hole Law had abused with their first time. The combination had Sanji's body tensing suddenly, and he gave a rather loud shout as his body was bombarded with combined sensations. Law stroked him until he felt his release, finally giving out atop of him once he heard Sanji's shuddering moan.

Both of them rested breathlessly against the stained sheets, still tangled up against each other. Law had the presence of mind to shift his weight from the other man, brushing Sanji's hair from his face and seeing that the human was passed out. There was no indication of awareness or defense in his features, and that spiked alarm in Law as he hastily twisted him onto his back, certain he'd somehow killed the man.

In panic, Law shook Sanji frantically to rouse him, lifting his head and chest up from the blankets and watching with rising fright as the man remained utterly still in his grasp. He made to jolt the man's heart back into working action, when Sanji's face twitched with an exhausted smile. One pale hand slapped against Law's face, an unintentional action as Sanji's fingers curled lightly against Law's cheek.

Sanji mumbled something about the door, still wearing a silly smile and relaxing entirely in Law's grasp as the fishman watched him with intense concern. Once a snore left him, Law let him drop with a snort. He ended up rolling onto his back to look at the ceiling, marveling over what just happened. He was disappointed in his performance, sure he didn't compare to those he'd watched mate, but this was his first time. He told himself that it was a pleasant scenario if his human partner lost all strength to talk him into an early death. It did occur to Law that this was also a pleasing way to tell Sanji that he talked too much; this would be a good way to quiet him.

He folded his arms behind his head and allowed another rare smile to curl his lips.

: :

By the time the morning sun lit up the room, Sanji was still sleeping heavily. Renewed with energy, Law rubbed his eyes as he sat up, feeling oddly rested. He'd fallen asleep on the messy bed, and though it was a pleasant experience, he felt exposed and vulnerable lying out in the open. It'd be preferable emerging from a narrow area; he looked over at his companion, wincing at the red marks and bruises that colored pale skin. His body felt renewed and lively after that coupling. He had energy for days, it seemed.

Recalling Sanji's insistence for their privacy, Law easily tended to the wounds that seemed more obvious. The human didn't even move or respond to the treatment, so Law left him there, tugging the blankets up and over him for some modesty. Morning routines for humans included a trip to the bathroom, so he followed the insistent protocol before emerging onto the deck to absorb the warmth of the sun.

The world looked different now that it was emerging daylight. The sea was dark and cold, the sails already fluttering overhead as the ship was now in movement towards some clandestine destination. Nami was drinking coffee while talking in a sharp tone towards Brook, who was cleaning out his pockets of stolen treasure. Tony was still sniffling as he clutched his doctor's bag, wearing oversized clothes. Something about that kid made Law's chest hurt in the same way he felt when viewing baby sea creatures he'd come across on the sea floor.

Franky was already repairing the rail Law had broken, Jimbei standing clumsily nearby with a toolbox. Luffy caught sight of Law and ambled over, barely awake. Law watched him cautiously, clutching his shirt that was missing several buttons, so he was standing in the frigid air with his tattooed skin rippling with discomfort.

"You're a manly man, Law," Luffy told him skeptically, eyes moving over Law's exposed upper form before looking down at his bare feet. "I couldn't walk around like that, it's too cold. Aren't you scared of shrinkage?"

Law narrowed his eyes. "Why would the cold cause me to shrink?"

"Never mind, stupid. Where's Sanji? Hopefully he's up cooking, because I could eat a whale at this point."

"Asleep. He demands privacy," Law thought to add as Luffy made to venture towards the open doorway.

Luffy scowled, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as he shivered. Nami cried out in dismay, dropping her coffee cup, splattering Brook with hot liquid. Brook shrieked, and Law saw Nami covering her eyes and hastily looking away from them.

Law observed this reaction with a confused frown. "So, the sight of a near naked man does cause feminine distress."

Luffy laughed. "I think it's just you, buddy. All these women are going to faint at your feet, so Ussop's mad at you for taking the attention away from him. But I told them women like looking at nice things – they don't like stupid guys, so you're safe."

 _Why would they do that?_ Law wondered with a frown, recalling Sanji saying the same thing with disgust. _I don't ooze predator vibes. Wait, did this idiot just call me 'stupid' again?_

"Sanji's still asleep, huh? Must be hella tired. I heard you guys arm wrestling all night. He's got real weak upper body strength. But I know that guy, he's pretty stubborn. Always trying to win."

Law didn't understand a word Luffy said. But he knew Sanji would scold him for saying anything about their relations, so he did keep his mouth tight. He didn't say anything, and Luffy just sighed in disappointment, walking over to demand the reason behind Tony's constant crying.


	11. Chapter 11

**Shadow: 11**

* * *

“Were you pirated, too?” Tony asked Law curiously, his eyes wet and swollen. He was greedily eating some sort of pudding desert Sanji had given him, and though it wasn’t something that appealed to Law, Law couldn’t help but stare at it with undisguised interest. Tony sniffed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. The breeze was cold, so both of them were wearing jackets – Nami was fixing Law’s borrowed shirt. The teen couldn’t help but gawk at the taller man for his absurdly good looks and for the fact that he was sitting shirtless under one of Franky’s jackets nonchalantly. He adjusted his pink hat over his floppy brown curls. “They treat you differently, I’ve noticed.”

Both of them were sitting at the back deck, where Law was keeping watch. The others were occupied inside of the ship; Sanji had given them breakfast, kicked and scolded Law for walking around like a primate, then escaped back to the kitchen. Tony was bewildered by the ex-prince’s attitude towards someone that could break a ship’s railing with his bare hands.

Law wasn’t sure of the word’s meaning; he was aware that Tony used it to describe his position on the Tangerine Dream. His breakfast was some grilled fish and what looked like a type of seaweed soup – because his human body demanded nourishment, he hadn’t any complaints about the fish’s temperature. He was picking the bones clean.

“Pirated,” he repeatedly carefully, using a bone to clean his teeth.

“Y’know, pirates. People who steal and savage others on the sea,” Tony explained. “I was stolen.”

“Can you swim?”

“…No.”

“Then why are you complaining?”

“I should be allowed a choice in the matter, sir!” Tony barked at him impatiently, then scooped pudding into his mouth messily. His chin then wobbled, repressing sobbing noises. “This is so good!”

“Looks like fish puke.”

Tony wiped his eyes. “I get the gist of what you’re saying. I could be drowned out there right now, or pulled under by the sea creatures Ussop had mentioned, but…I’m scared. I don’t know if you people are nice or – I mean, Miss Nami said she ‘borrowed’ this ship but then the others were saying she savagely mauled the original owners to take it from them. Robin is a ghost that shows up from out of nowhere. Franky is somewhat of a new world explorer that has some sort of ship masonry experience, Luffy and Zoro fishermen, Jimbei said he was stolen because he can’t pay back his worth of rescuing - ! And I don’t know what Brook is, but a musician as talented as he is and sailing on these seas must be being held for some significant ransom! And you! They keep calling you a fishman! And Sanji is a prince! I heard the crew on Doflamingo’s ship talking about it, but why would he want to play dead when his family is rich and scary?”

“I’m here because I chose to be.”

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Tony said, looking at him skeptically. He had pudding clinging to the corners of his mouth, crumbs dusting his chin. He picked through the fruit sprinkled atop of the pudding to get an even mixture. “I’m a doctor, I studied to help people. This was my first real job out on the sea. And I end up being captured by pirates – I don’t know how to be a pirate, I didn’t study to be one!”

“A…doctor?”

“Yes, we use medicine to fix the ill, and tools to put humans back together.” Tony gave him an odd look. “Everyone knows what a doctor is.”

“I just use my will and hands to fix a human.”

Tony’s eyes bulged incredulously. “Are you one of God’s _angels_?”

Law huffed, wearing an irritated expression as he looked away. Tony frowned at him before finishing off his bowl of pudding.

“Law,” he then said patiently, setting aside his bowl and spoon, “what were you before this?”

“Merfolk.”

“A…mermaid? Aren’t they supposed to be women?” Tony asked in a whisper.

“A natural assumption,” Luffy interrupted, peering around a corner to look in on them. He made sure the coast was clear, then sat before them with a large platter of what looked to be sandwich meats and cheeses. From his wool jacket pocket, he produced a bottle of juice. “Tony, you are looking at a mer _man_. Let’s get that straight. But, we also know of one that is both man and woman AND can turn into an octopus!”

Tony’s eyes bulged once more as Luffy created a meat sandwich with cheese slices for bread. Law watched him skeptically as he devoured the thick brick without any reaction.

“If you choke,” Tony warned, voice trembling, “I will…! I will…reluctantly treat you. And mermaids are myths.”

“I’m obviously standing before you, breathing in this fresh oxygen,” Law said with a huff.

Luffy finished chewing, then laughed, hitting Tony’s worn leather shoe – the laces were coming undone, so they flapped with the action. He tutted, looking at Law with pity. “You stupid, stupid beautiful man. Can you not see the efforts we give in providing you with a better life? You are not standing – you are sitting. I’m sure you couldn’t do that with your tail, but - ”

Tony fretted as Law ensnared Luffy’s skinny neck with one tattooed hand.

“If you are a mermaid,” he said, reaching out with both hands to somehow pull Law’s hand away from Luffy as he strangled, “then where’s your tail?”

‘ _Where’s his tail_?’ Law heard his young self cry out with horror, and he dropped his hand from Luffy to look at Tony. Luffy inhaled and coughed, spraying them with meat pieces and cheese. Tony tried not to shriek in alarm as the splatter hit him in the face.

“A sea witch allowed me to turn human,” Law muttered. “I can change back at any time.”

“With his magical necklace,” Luffy said to Tony, his eyes watery. He rubbed his throat. “A piece of coral. Show him it, Law.”

“I don’t have it. _Mr Blackleg_ threw it into the sea.”

Both of them looked at Law with horror, Law giving it an impatient look. “If it was actually what it was supposed to be, then I should have turned last night. But I am obviously… _sitting_ …before you, breathing in this fresh oxygen.”

“Ivankov… _lied_ to us?” Luffy cried. “ _I’m_ the one responsible for you!”

“YOU ARE _NOT_ \- !”

“Ivankov is this sea witch that Zoro mentioned?” Tony asked. He shuddered. “Sounds real scary.”

“I’ll have a stern talk with Sanji,” Luffy threatened, making another meat sandwich. “Anything that pertains to you has to go through me, first. Ivankov entrusted your life to me.”

“ _No one_ is responsible for me,” Law snarled at him, rising to his feet.

“Law,” Tony said, looking up at him pleadingly, “if you _are_ a merperson, this…merfolk, then can you please tell me something? If you are able to fix humans, how can you do that? Are all of you magical?”

“Not all of us.”

“You healed me,” Luffy then said to Law, head cocked. “I had energy for hours after Mingo hit me. And I didn’t have any injury on me that I should have. Guy flung me around like a toy and bashed my face in with his foot, so I should’ve been dead.”

“I shouldn’t have,” Law snapped at him. “I _should’ve_ left you back there.”

“ _RUDE_. We’re friends! Friends don’t leave each other behind!”

“WE’RE NOT FRIENDS!”

Tony looked at Luffy with impatience as the fisherman snickered, clearing off the platter to stuff into his mouth. “You are so childish, sir. Baiting another man into a fight is uncouth.”

“I’m not baiting,” Luffy scoffed. “But I do love physical entanglements. Hey, Law, wanna arm wrestle me? I’ll give you a real fight, something Sanji’s incapable of doing. He doesn’t use his arms to fight like I do.”

Law gave him a puzzled look. “We weren’t arm wrestling.”

“All those noises from his room told me you guys were fighting.”

“We weren’t fighting.” Law then paused, sure he was venturing into dangerous territory, but unsure of how to skirt around it.

Luffy gestured up at him while looking at Tony with a roll of his eyes, while Tony looked at Law with a puzzled frown.

“ _See_? He doesn’t know basic words and functions,” Luffy said, shaking his head. “He doesn’t know anything because he’s a fish. And fish are dumb.”

“Luffy,” Jimbei interrupted them, peering out from the same area Luffy had moments earlier. “I must make you aware that Sanji knows it was you stealing food from our kitchen. I should warn you to make haste and disappear before he finds you.”

Luffy stood and shoved the empty platter into Tony’s startled hands, hurrying off into the opposite direction with frantic effort. Jimbei then looked at the others and smiled.

“I lie. I couldn’t help but overhear a few things. Now you should be able to converse without his interruptions for a short while. Tony, if you are done with your snack, lunch will be served in an hour. You should bring your appetite. Last night, Zoro was able to catch some crabs while we were sleeping.”

“Crabs just don’t float in deep waters,” Law said. “They scrounge about on the ocean floor.”

“Zoro had said something about…needing to sober up and only cold water can do it,” Jimbei said grimly. Tony’s eyes widened once more, mouth dropping with disbelief as he carefully lowered the platter to the floor. “We have more than enough for everyone to feast.”

“All of you pirates are _unreal_!” Tony whispered. “What sort of human being that’s consumed excessive alcohol can hold their breath that long, or dive that deep?”

“Sanji can hold his until he – ” Law cut himself off abruptly, remembering that he wasn’t supposed to speak a word of their private relations. The pair looked at him questionably, so Law looked away to avoid giving away anything else.

“He is a very strong swimmer himself,” Jimbei supplied slowly. “Both of them have done their share of retrieving Luffy or the others from the water.”

“ _Gods_ ,” Tony whispered, hand to his mouth. “Mr Jimbei, sir, what feats are you capable of?”

Jimbei gave him a grim smile. “I was a former pirate captain, and luxury cruises were one of my fortes. My last job unfortunately ended with my ship blasted by the military on one such venture, and I was the only survivor. I was able to survive, for I am, also, capable of deep sea diving that allowed me to forage for edible creatures along the ocean floor.”

“You must have whale lungs,” Law muttered, a little incredulous.

“I was found by this crew, and allowed to live on the conditions that I share my treasures with Miss Nami.”

Tony gestured wildly. “See? _See_? You guys actually charge towards ships to cause them harm and wrongdoing, and then make off with the treasures - !”

“Haven’t you realized that they consider you a treasure to be found?” Law asked Tony impatiently while the teen’s voice rose with panic and fright. “You were hand picked by the assassin – what is that, by the way?”

“Someone whom takes orders to kill other individuals for profit,” Jimbei explained patiently.

“A predator,” Law said.

“I will be _killed_ if I try to leave this ship!” Tony cried with horror, rising to his feet. He searched for his doctor’s bag, then held it tightly to his chest, shaking.

“The best comfort I could offer you,” Law said tentatively, “is that when the monster finally shows himself, your death will be quick and without suffering. You’re smaller than the rest of them here, so when it eats you, it’ll most likely be quick by swallowing – ”

“ _OH MY GOD_!”

“What monster?” Jimbei asked, Law looking at Tony with confusion, unsure of why all the tears when he’d just said something comforting. Law then looked at Jimbei.

“Doflamingo is not dead,” he said seriously. “There was something about him I’d detected as we were speaking, and…he’d left a clue behind years ago when he killed his younger brother. Though I had set up his death with another merfolk, a sharkman, I doubt the idiot was able to destroy Doflamingo.”

“That’s very concerning.” Jimbei blinked, then asked, “What sort of shark?”

“I don’t know. I don’t look at him that closely. But he’s very ugly.”

“One chomp and I’m _dead_!” Tony sobbed. “Pirated and _dead_!”

“Perhaps he isn’t the type of monster that chomps,” Law assured him. “There are many predators in the sea that aren’t always sharks.”

Jimbei nodded grimly.

“ARGHHHHHH NOT HELPING!”

“Why are you idiots making this kid cry?” Sanji demanded, striding around the corner and looking to Tony. Law and Jimbei stepped away from him, allowing Sanji space to maneuver in an administer a clap to the shoulder. “What are you crying for, young man? If one of these fools puts their hands on you, you kick them. Violence is necessary for the preservation of life.”

“Wait a minute,” Jimbei started to say when Law added, “Of course.”

“I am not a violent person! I heal, not kill!”

Jimbei wondered if Tony was trying to be funny – he’d said “keel” rather than “kill”.

Sanji tutted, hands on his hips. “With that attitude, you _will_ be killed. God granted you life, and Jesus died to allow you freedom to live without causing harm to others – you should do well to make sure you take care of this gift.”

Tony turned his oversized eyes to Sanji with gratefulness. “Thank you, sir! It’s good to know that there is sympathy on this damn shitty ship for a young man.”

“Listen,” Jimbei said to Tony, placing a big hand on top of his head, “if you have the will to survive, you may. If you continue this negative attitude, then, of course, you will be first to die. Sometimes coming in first place isn’t always the answer.”

“If you aren’t willing to fight to live, then perhaps you should throw yourself overboard, and save us the trouble of remembering why you were there in the first place,” Law said.

“ _Morons_ ,” Sanji said, shocked. “Like all of us, he is obviously of great importance. Milady Robin saved him for a reason – she recognized his value. And it’s impressive that, at his age, he’s schooled himself into some difficult endeavors and was placed in a position of trust amongst his peers. Frankly, he’s more valuable than either of you. He’s useful. You two aren’t.”

“You’re so _mean_ , sometimes,” Jimbei muttered bitterly while Law gave Sanji a fearsome scowl, crossing his arms over his chest. “You are blatantly disrespectful to your elders and to other menfolk that know better. We are trying to raise this child’s fighting spirits, and you’re _babying_ him.”

“I baby _nobody_!” Sanji snarled at him. He then said to Tony, “If any trouble should occur to this ship, please be rest assured that the _rest_ of us will guarantee your safety regardless. Ignore these idiots’ rambling – they forget their age and experience. They’re scum.”

Tony nodded shakily. “Are you a man of God, sir? Those are comforting words.”

Sanji made a face, fingers moving towards his collar once more to fiddle with it. “Er….no. Not…not at all, I’m just…trying to administer comforting words for someone that needs to hear them.”

“You baby too many children on board, here. Allowing Luffy to dwindle our food supply with his bottomless pit, spoiling yourself to the women’s’ whims, and allowing Ussop his deviant lying behavior, and now, lying to this young man about the tragedies of life,” Jimbei scoffed, robes shimmering as he adjusted them firmly over his chest. Law found his eyes lifting to his stiff ponytail, wondering what he’d look like with one exactly like that. “Once again, you preach words about values that none of us share. I will inform Mr Roronoa that you’re doing so. Surely, he can convince you otherwise.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass what that shit for brains thinks!”

Law crinkled his brow. “What is a rat?”

Tony sniffed, wiping at his face. “A four-legged rodent with an ugly tail, a vermin that can make humans sick and destroy food supply.”

“…Why would you give _anyone_ a rat’s ass?” Law asked Sanji incredulously.

“It’s a phrase!” Sanji told him impatiently, waving him off. He picked up the platter, wiping crumbs away with angry slaps, then tucked it underneath one arm.

“I’m going to tell him,” Jimbei said with a sniff, walking off, Sanji growling to charge after him.

“Lunch will be served in twenty minutes, you two! Both of you better be at that table, hands cleaned, or else! You! Ex captain! Who are you to tell on other people? Are you a child at heart? I fear no man’s scolding!”

Tony sighed heavily, shoulders slumping as Law continued to wonder about a rat’s value in human phrasing. He looked to the teen with a scowl.

“This stupid, idiotic human conversation has pissed me off. If Doflamingo tries to eat you first, I will allow him to,” Law warned him, turning away to walk in the other direction.

 _Monsters_ , Tony thought with dread, _all of them!_

: :

After lunch, Sanji returned to his room. He picked up the book sitting on the nightstand, flipping through the pages for a few moments. The urge to communicate and use his faith to keep a sound mind was as insistent as his cigarette habit.

He was also struggling not to think about last night. Every time he did, his hands grew shaky and his actions flustered, and if that wasn’t a dead giveaway to the delightful sins he was partaking in, then…

The things that happened he’d always viewed as perverse and unnatural. But how natural was it to yearn for it after having his first taste? For behaving in such a wanton way to encourage it? To allow his body to be taken by another so…easily? Without fighting, without second guessing, without even thinking about what he was doing? Even now, when his thoughts went to it, his face heated because he’d do it again. And again. _And again_ , and the consequences were doing nothing to scare him off. Why should there be consequences when he felt so natural acquiescing to these instincts?

Hastily, he maneuvered into the closet and closed the door behind him. Stepping on Law’s abandoned bedding, he pulled various clothes to him, covering his face with the weight of the garments. He released a scream into them, screaming with all his might and feeling, face building with heat and sweat. Once his lungs felt empty, he just breathed, smearing sweat and spit against his heated face, feeling how fast his heart was racing and how jumbled his mind was.

He removed the garments from his face and breathed slow, trying to get his mind back in order.

 _There is nothing wrong with my feelings_ , he thought to himself sternly. _There is nothing impure about love, nothing harmful or hurtful. Being in love with a man isn’t a crime; mistreating the love should be. I shouldn’t be punished for feelings that flow through me naturally, that allow me to feel happiness. The Holy Father will forgive me for that, but not forgive me for abusing love in all its possible harm…like Doflamingo had claimed he’d done for the woman he’d kept imprisoned on his estate._

Sanji wiped his face with one of his jacket sleeves, and composed himself.

“The only way I’ll ever go to Hell is for taking the life of another human being, which,” he amended hastily, “I haven’t done yet. _That_ is the crime I’d be guilty for. Not for falling in love. Not for _being_ in love. Not for something that …our paths were meant to cross for a reason. It was aligned. My eyes were shut, and they were opened. Nothing I do is wrong. Jesus died for our sins, but this isn’t one of them. I can still be a child of God, and be allowed to love whomever allows me to love them. That…that is not a sin if it’s not harmful to another living being’s life.”

Saying these things aloud in this narrow, dark room, where his voice was the only thing he heard, caused Sanji some comfort. Against the wooden bar that held the weight of his hanging clothes, he clasped his hands together and bowed his head down against them.

“Forgive me, Father,” he whispered, “but I don’t believe that what I’m doing is wrong. I believe you allowed me to cross Law’s path for a reason. I believe you put him here for me to love – otherwise, we wouldn’t have met at all. You created all us creatures, all of us here are Your creatures, so it wouldn’t make sense to hold love aside for specifics when it is Your hand that gave us life. The feelings I have are not wrong…”

He exhaled heavily again, opening his eyes to feel out the weight of his next words.

“It was only other humans that misconstrued Your power to their specifics. Otherwise…humans wouldn’t feel outside of their understanding. And I do. You’ve given me strength to see love crossing my path in a way I would have never…imagined…but now I can embrace. It’s not a sin to fall in love with a man, milord, otherwise, these feelings would have never been allowed in us, by Your hands, Your design…but I will embrace this, Lord God, for a man loving another is not a sin, or You wouldn’t have given us humans the will to love.”

He exhaled once again, clasped hands shaking. But the liberation he felt inside of him for hearing his own voice bear strength as he spoke gave him relief.

 _I can still be a child of God_ , he thought, straightening his clothes, _but it’s His voice I’ll have to listen for. Not the voices of men that say otherwise_. _And when have other men intimidated me?_

He straightened his shoulders and adjusted his coat as he left the closet. He closed the book atop of the nightstand, then tucked it into the drawer with a low sigh, turning away to fiddle with his cuffs and divert his thoughts elsewhere and then headed up to the lounging area. Robin was reading a large book that she had to hold with both hands and Nami was looking over some ocean maps she’d unrolled and pinned to the floor with the weight of other books. Brook was providing a serene sound of his violin, occasionally chatting with both. Ussop was snoring on one of the couches while Zoro sat with a fresh bottle in both hands, staring out at the sea.

“Anyone for tea?” Sanji asked brightly. “I just brewed a fresh pot.”

“I would,” Robin said, Nami holding up a finger to say that she did as well.

“Another brewski,” Zoro said, blinking sleepy eyes.

“Some warm milk, hon,” Brook said happily.

“So, two for tea,” Sanji verified. “Got it.”

“How is Tony? That brat still crying his eyes out?” Nami asked, lifting her head. Her dress, brilliant gold and white, was simple and cotton, her long hair snaking up into a messy ponytail. Her white sandals clacked noisily upon the floor with her movements, her fingers ink-stained.

“He should be fine. He was in the company of the youngest grandfather,” Sanji assured her. “Sometimes, that ruffian has good words to share. And he was helping educate Law on some matters.”

Brook’s bow screeched over the strings before lowering his violin. “Who is the _oldest_ grandfather?”

“You, of course.”

“NONSENSE! I am insulted!”

“You’re a walking corpse. Stop talking to me. What are you looking at, milady?” Sanji then asked Robin, venturing over to her and looking down into the content on display. At the sight of various mythical sea creatures, he hummed.

“Fish guy thinks we’re being hunted,” Zoro said, relaxing despite the obvious ignoring of his request. “Robin is trying to guess by what.”

Nami dropped her quill. “What? WHAT? _Hunted_?”

“Fish Prince thinks that big guy is like him, and he turned into some monster that’s looking to finish us off.”

“ _WHAT_?”

“…Am I speaking at a whisper?”

“Maybe he isn’t a large sea creature,” Sanji said slowly, hands fiddling at his coat. “But a sea creature nonetheless. The…the sharkman that I encountered was large, and Law himself was a lengthy creature, and…maybe we shouldn’t alarm ourselves to think that this one is a monster.”

“But we should, just in case,” Robin murmured, flipping a page. “So that we can be prepared to kill one. Nami, think of the reward if we should drag it in for display or study!”

Nami’s expression changed from fear to consideration.

“We could be rich,” Robin continued, reading an entry in the book and flipping another page. “Considering the man as a human, he’s rather tall and menacing. And his strength is immeasurable. His blithe attitude remains me of a lax creature that will strike if prompted, so I am thinking that perhaps he’s a prehistoric creature, and not entirely mythical. Depending on his age, for he looked a little older than I, and considering that we know nothing of merfolk life span, prehistoric creatures sounds more on point.”

She lowered her book to her lap, her black dress stark in contrast compared to the light design and coloring of the lounging area. Her eyes lit up. “We should be assured that prehistoric creatures have teeth that we can easily avoid if we should find ourselves in their mouth, for they are formulated for as big a creature as they are. We have a survivable chance if we are swallowed, should we be armed with something very sharp. Sanji, how many kitchen knives are we in possession of?”

“…Er…”

Nami looked horrified. “If I am swallowed, I will _die_! I will be too frightened to cut my way out of a living creature! _Robin_!”

“We can be swallowed together, if it makes you feel better,” Robin told her with a smile.

“ _Or_ ,” Zoro interrupted firmly, “we just wait and see. Why worry about it when we’re not even sure if it’s true? If he’s a smart enemy, he could just tail us underwater until we reach our destination, then turn human to destroy us there by handing us over to the authorities and having us publicly hanged for doing shit to him.”

Robin gave him a sullen look, closing her book. “That’s _dull_.”

“I think, if you’re not going to provide any helpful information, you should stay out of this conversation,” Nami growled at Zoro. “Why waste our time for that? It makes more sense to turn into a monster and eat us out here!”

“No one would mourn our deaths,” Brook said sorrowfully, starting a new tune. Ussop woke with a sputter, drool left on the pillow.

“I would actually like to see a monster,” Sanji admitted. “They’re not something that should go unseen. These creatures are…well, you won’t forget them when you see them.”

“Were you afraid when Law found you? Did he try to eat you?” Nami asked him with worry.

“Yes. Yes, actually. But I talked him out of it.”

“See? The devil would even end up sending you back if you ended up in Hell.”

Sanji sweated nervously, face twitching. Nami furrowed her brow, and he grew even more nervous.

“Why would you end up there? Hmm? Only _sinners_ go to Hell,” she said.

“I’ll go get that tea,” Sanji said hurriedly, leaving the room.

“Nami,” Zoro said impatiently, “stop giving that guy fits. Like we can endure anymore of his idiotic bullshit.”

“ _You_ ,” Sanji snarled, striding back in and startling Zoro with his sudden appearance, “shut up! Your opinion means nothing!”

“Sanji,” Nami said, taking a seat nearby, fluffing her plain dress with hands that left vague stains, “why ever would you think you’ve sinned? You’re the most pure man I know.”

“I’ll be right back,” Sanji said, hurriedly leaving the room once more.

“Now I’m curious,” Nami said happily.

“If Law is worried about these things, then perhaps we should take note,” Brook advised, lowering his instrument once more. “Because clearly he hasn’t adjusted to being human.”

“Oh, heavens, can you imagine the reaction of the ladies once they see him?” Nami asked, fanning herself. “I’ve plenty of experience, but just seeing him like _that_ causes a dainty lady a slight fit of the vapors.”

“I’ve seen better,” Zoro scoffed, lifting his bottle to his lips.

“Shut up! You only admire the size of fish!”

“It’s not _his_ life he’s worried about,” Brook continued, setting his instrument aside and picking up his cup.

“It’s not ours, either,” Robin said.

Nami looked at them sharply, then leaned in. “Hmm? What’s the gossip?”

“He’ll survive a mishap with a sea monster because he is experienced in these things,” Brook said. “That’s his confidence. Whether or not we survive the outcome is not in his plan. If the monster is not dead as he’d thought, the monster will come for him, and only him.”

Sanji returned with tea and the others’ requests, Ussop looking at him sleepily once Sanji passed him some coffee and a sandwich. He then tucked the platter underneath one arm.

“Has anyone see Luffy?” he asked curiously. “Perhaps he could be bait for this incoming monster.”

“ _Monster_?” Ussop repeated sharply, looking alarmed. “Are you guys talking about that monster we started talking about last night?”

“It’s Jimbei’s turn to babysit,” Zoro muttered.

Sanji then hurried off, the sound of him running reaching their ears.

“That guy has the ears of a bat,” Ussop continued. “Law. I’m scared to talk about him, knowing he can hear us.”

“Perhaps he can only hear movement,” Robin said thoughtfully, finger to chin while Ussop gave her an impatient look.

“He’s _not_ a tyrannosaurus rex!”

“Did those have ears?”

“I think I’ve solved the problem,” Brook said. “Doflamingo had suggested Sanji resembles the younger brother Law was in the company of, so perhaps we should toss him overboard. Therefore, the monster will take him first, Law can do his thing, and we make a hasty escape in the aftermath. When we see Sanji in the afterlife, we can apologize then.”

Zoro laughed, Nami chuckling while Robin looked bothered.

Ussop nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes, that sounds like a plan!”

“But in the meantime, we should have those explosives ready,” Brook continued. “For plan B. Even if we _should_ manage to fell the thing, having our names out in the world as the ones that had killed it would bode worry for us. We couldn’t sail in secret, anymore. We would be hunted to the ends of the sea when we could be enjoying the adventure.”

“Boo,” Nami muttered.

Robin rose from her chair, clutching her book. She gave them all a grim look. “None of you are of any fun.”

She left the room, black dress skirting against the floor, causing the others to look at each other with nervousness.

: :

Most of them were out on deck as the anchor was dropped for the night. Zoro watched as Nami, Ussop, Tony and Brook clutched each other as they scanned the darkened waters. Luffy was pouting at Jimbei’s side, Franky tinkering with a weapon he’d devised throughout the day that included harpoons.

“This harpoon gun has been modified to fire exactly twice before needing refill, _but_ ,” he added, tightening a bolt and then straightening up with a proud look, “we lack the harpoons I had in mind. All that I’ve found were some simple pieces I welded together from the utility rooms. In the long run, we’re probably going to need to stop somewhere to fix that issue, because it will _become_ an issue. Is that clear?”

“You just want to suck all my money from me,” Nami accused, hiding behind Ussop, who clutched her just as tightly.

“It should shut down any monster,” Franky said proudly, Robin clapping her hands.

“‘ _tch_ ,” Law muttered with a roll of his eyes, the boots he borrowed from Franky clomping on the floor with his movement. Despite the temperature, he was still shirtless – the borrowed jacket plain black with a white fur collar, which only seemed to enhance his chest tattoos and looks. Tony stared at him with confusion, confident that this man lacked body temperature awareness. Nami covered his eyes, deliberately looking in another direction. “There’s a reason why these things live longer than humans. By now, most know how to combat harmful human attacks.”

“We need a fighting chance, buddy. We’ve got children on board,” Franky said with exasperation, gesturing at the group that was huddled together, clearly frightened. He then looked at Ussop. “You’ve got the best aim, kid. You can’t be scared.”

“I am _clearly_ unreliable!” Ussop shouted at him angrily.

“And as for the explosives Ms Robin was able to sneak onboard,” Franky said, taking the few steps forward to indicate the pile of pipes and a few bundles of dynamite, “I’ve taken them apart and crafted them individually. The bundles we can light and throw…”

He looked at Law. “The pipes will require a good pitching arm.”

“What is ‘pitching’?”

“GAH! Will someone educate this guy? What were you all doing in there all day? Obviously just sitting on your damn laurels while other people worked their asses off!”

“I’ve got a good throwing arm,” Zoro said with confidence, warming up his left arm. “I can do that part.”

“This requires utmost direction, moss,” Sanji warned him. “And you don’t got direction.”

“ _Haah_? Why are you always starting a fight with me?”

“I don’t need that,” Law said impatiently. “Human magics are no strength against my own.”

“These things can help,” Franky said, wearing a concerned frown.

“As a human, Law,” Tony asked, pulling his head out from the cowering group, “are you at 100 percent of your natural mermaid strength?”

“Mer _man_ ,” Luffy reminded him impatiently, standing nearby. “He _clearly_ has a dick.”

Law looked at Tony with consideration. Sanji patted his chest, resting his hand there as he gave the doctor a look of confidence. “I’ve seen this man being punched through whole walls without nothing but a dirty appearance to make up for it. He’s at considerable strength. There’s no need to worry.”

Law looked pointedly at the hand still resting against one tattooed pectoral as Tony said, “I’m sure your physical form suggests your strength, but I’ve seen you walking, and it’s as if I am witnessing a baby fawn trying to follow after its mother just after birth.”

“ _Meaning_ , you clumsy minnow, no one trusts you to do human things when you’ve been a fish for so long,” Luffy told Law pointedly, tutting. Luffy then pinched Sanji’s hand, causing the cook to hiss and then realize his own action. Luffy turned to the others, hands on his hips as he slapped Law’s biceps. “ _I_ was put in charge of this fish’s wellbeing! _My_ responsibility is keeping him safe and alive! Trust in me when I saw I can rely on his choice to fight, but I _will_ be the one to dive in after him when he tries to float.”

Zoro swatted him upside the head as Law snarled at the fisherman, swatting him from the other side.

“Don’t touch me!” Law snapped while Sanji examined his own hand for its untrustworthiness.

“ _You_ can’t even swim,” Zoro scoffed, Luffy rubbing his head with a hurt look. Tony covered his mouth hastily, unable to understand why the situation was humorous.

“What is a fawn, and why is it’s mother abandoning it?” Law then asked, furrowing his brow.

“Don’t worry your pretty head about things like that,” Luffy told him, Law looking at him flatly, “that’s for the smarter people to show you when it’s time.”

“People!” Luffy then yelled, Sanji patiently pulling Law away from the fisherman as Law intended to grab him by the neck. “If the monster comes, the cowards can hide in the ship. The strong will handle the situation appropriately.”

The cowering group immediately headed into the ship, closing and locking the door behind them. Franky gave a start, then followed to pound at the door.

“ _USSOP_! Get back out here!” he roared, Robin covering her mouth hastily.

“ _Is_ there a monster? Or are we just scaring ourselves?” Luffy then asked, wearing a bewildered expression as he looked out at the dark waters, Zoro yawning noisily behind him.

“I think it can’t hurt to be precautious,” Robin said.

“It’s coming,” Law said confidently. “No predator would allow their prey to get away if they are that strong willed.”

“Maybe it’s not a monster,” Sanji suggested.

“We’re the only ones that haven’t really seen one, so I hope so,” Jimbei said with concern.

“I mean, if they’re like Ivankov,” Zoro said slowly, “I’ve seen _way_ worse.”

Luffy indicated breasts and a dick on his own body, looking at Franky incredulously, the man unable to imagine these things.

The group then looked over to see the cowards looking out at them from the windows, their faces taking up individual round spaces. Franky impatiently pounded upon Ussop’s, the man quickly ducking away.

Robin looked out into the night, black dress swishing around her ankles. Her expression was bright.

“I do hope the opportunity to see one,” she said. “For now, it is my only wish.”

“What are your other wishes?” Sanji asked her cautiously.

“One of the others is viewing the inside of an unidentified flying craft from the sky, and seeing this world from a star’s view.”

Sanji managed to create an optimistic smile, but that was beyond his imagination.

“Why is everyone here, gathering like this is their problem?” Law then asked Sanji, below the continuing shouts of Franky calling for Ussop, and Zoro’s and Luffy’s musing for how to cut up the monster to eat and save for later.

“Because it is,” Sanji told him, Jimbei shifting away to venture towards the back deck. “I mean, we’re all on this ship. And you’re our friend.”

“I’m not their friend,” Law said. “We merfolk do not ‘band together’ to fight a predator. We’re solitary creatures that defend our own territory. No one comes to other people’s aid, unless they’re companions…”

Sanji lowered his voice. “You’re my companion.”

“And,” he added hastily, feeling self-conscious as he looked away from Law’s expression, “these people are your friends. Because you’re my friend, they’re now your friend.”

“I have friends. And they’re missing.”

“Whether or not you’re comfortable with it, these are your friends, too. Humans band together. Like…like a mini-colony. We watch each other’s backs, tend to each other’s wounds, feed them when they’re hungry. As a human, you’ll need to get used to that. It’s not just you.”

“Everyone is in the way. And they cannot think to survive an attack by something as massive – when I saved you bunch from the kraken’s hands – ”

“And thank you for that,” Sanji said hastily. “Because we had no idea we were in such peril.”

“I removed you all from a scene that you couldn’t possibly win.”

“Throwing our boat back onto the island.”

“I did not _throw_ anything!”

“Law,” Sanji interrupted his impatient complaint, “this is it. Argue as much as you want to, but it’s good to have friends that will help. My friends helped me by venturing onto the ocean, for which they had no clue I was actually alive.”

“…They keep mentioning that the devil will send you back if you spoke enough, so – ”

“ – _and_ you’ve become a friend to them. So, in turn, they will assist you. That’s how it works. You’re not a solitary creature in this life, anymore,” Sanji told him gently.

“Temporary as it is.”

“It’s not. Once we begin exploring the world together, you’ll find it hard to return to your solitary life,” Sanji assured him, patting his chest once more, watching his action. “It grows on you.”

“There’s all these unnecessary touches.”

Sanji drew his hand back hastily, giving him an embarrassed look. He whispered noisily, “I can’t help it! I already told you why.”

Law stepped towards him, Sanji freezing at the sight of a predatory expression on Law’s face. Sanji’s hands fluttered to his jacket to keep his hands busy – to keep from reaching out.

“You rely on my self control because you lack any,” Law told him, smug. Sanji frowned at him with an insulted huff. Law took hold of his hands as they crawled to his already fitted jacket, fiddling with the buttons that gleamed under the sunlight. Sanji watched him cautiously, already lost to the sounds and activity around them; captured by those intense golden eyes. “Because if I lacked any, last night wouldn’t have been our first time.”

“I – _never_ \- !” Sanji said, flaring from neck up as he hastily jerked away.

“Many times before then, I had wanted to push up into that unused hole of yours and force you to react as you did with such alluring noises – ”

Sanji turned various colors before placing both of his hands against the man’s mouth, looking at the others with panic. Before Law could step away from him, wearing a satisfied smirk, Zoro and Luffy laughing and slugging at each other, Sanji gripped his biceps and pulled him back, finding some privacy away from them. He wiped his hair from his sweaty face and administered some flustered action to his jacket once more.

He gave a stern shake of his finger into the other man’s face. “None of that. None of those smooth words in public, we are – they can hear us, sir! This breaks the rules…”

“Your reactions amuse me,” Law confessed, and Sanji struggled to compose himself; as much as he wanted to lose himself in that light smile reflecting down at him. “You display yourself as this princely figure, worry your hands over your appearance, but the moment I give you a little attention, you flutter about like a dazed, disoriented fish.”

“I do not resemble a shitty little fish, and while you…you _flirt_ with me with your – eyes, and your damn muscles…! Where is your damn shirt?”

The corner of Law’s lips curled up as Sanji grew more flustered, swiping at his hair once more as his skin seemed to overheat; he closed the space between them, hand lifting to loosen the man’s collar. Sanji half-heartedly batted his hand away to fix it, giving nervous glances around them. But Zoro and Luffy had each other in a headlock, roughing each other up against the wall in playful combat. Law reached out to pull his collar open down to his collarbone, Sanji hastily covering himself back up but looking at Law with a scowl while the other man looked upon him with a smirk that only seemed to enhance his features.

Sanji reached out to put a restraining hand over his, lightly pushing at him. “Stop it. Let us be serious about these troublesome things and not allow us to be…easily distracted.”

Watching him, Law buttoned up his jacket, Sanji watching each button being threaded with a sullen frown. “I’ll refrain from making a mess of you.”

Jimbei’s eyebrow raised from his area, glancing at them skeptically. The pair of them were so focused upon each other that it seemed they were completely in a world of their own. Their expressions so obviously adoring that it embarrassed Jimbei to be seeing it. 

_Now I know what Nami meant,_ he thought idly, looking away. _Feels like we’re intruding upon something we weren’t supposed to see._

“We crossed each other’s paths for a reason, Law,” Sanji then said to him, “and it wasn’t because of one man. You were alone for so long, and I was…this ignorant dick. But finding you opened my eyes to many things, and what we’ve experienced together was something neither of us expected to find…at all. Because of this opportunity, it would make sense that our togetherness should no longer be of any issue…right?”

Law frowned at him for several moments, Franky’s voice then booming out to cause Luffy and Zoro to stop laughing and start emitting protests to some rough treatment.

“It was only an issue for you,” Law reminded him.

“I’ve come to accept that the voice of man was the problem for…the dictations of God. For it was conditioned in me to fear or throw away the same things I’ve discovered since I met you. Only man could create these negative things, Law. Only we are capable of convincing ourselves that what I am feeling is wrong. But it’s not. Because I’ve done everything right in my life, abided to others’ dictations, and yet this one moment with meeting you uprooted everything. I still believe in my faith, but I also believe in you.”

“You’ll still talk to the sky?”

“I will, but never to question what I feel for you, or your existence. If we weren’t meant to be, you wouldn’t be always looking up at the ships passing overhead, and I wouldn’t have learned to swim.”

“I don’t believe in your deity, so I don’t share that view. But,” Law then amended, wearing a puzzled look, “my fascination for humans did always have me looking up. Ever since I met you, I…find myself no longer looking.”

“Because now you’re standing atop of one,” Robin said, startling them both with her sudden presence. She gave them both smiles, then wandered after Jimbei. Neither of them noticed the way Jimbei gestured wildly at her, as if questioning her intrusion and awkwardly scolding her for it. She only smiled in amusement, playing dumb for the moment.

“I mean, literally,” Law mumbled, faintly embarrassed by her intrusion while Sanji dropped his hand belatedly. “But…yes.”

“It wasn’t Doflamingo’s doing, Law,” Sanji said awkwardly. “These things happened because we found each other. If not, you should have listened to your ingrained instinct to pull me under. If not, I should have stayed on the Orbit, like a fool, throwing away learned talents. But none of those things happened. And every time we look at each other…well, that’s magic no one else has, do they?”

Law narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “That we know of. There could be certain creatures lurking under water capable of making creatures feel things they never have – ”

Sanji clapped a hand over his mouth with an impatient sigh, hand then trailing down his jaw to touch his chest once more. “No, there isn’t. Come. It’ll be a long wait, I think. Perhaps we’re just working ourselves into a fit. If that monster wanted to, he would have been here ages ago.”

“He’ll arrive. I would like to be prepared for it.”

“Well, if we’re standing around like we are, some people will be bored, and start breaking things. Maybe I’ll busy myself with making some snacks for later, and locate some warmer clothes. Where’s that shirt you were wearing earlier?”

“Nami said she would fix it. She was a little concerned over the missing buttons…”

Sanji reddened with embarrassment, remembering why that shirt was in the condition that it was in. He cleared his throat noisily, looking away.

“I’ll find something that’s a little more…appropriate. No buttons,” Sanji then said clumsily, looking at him. He shook his head. “Once we make land, you’re going to make women fall at your feet. Make the rest of us jealous.”

“And what is ‘jealous’? You humans keep using that term in such a challenging way.”

“It’s, uh…well, for example, feeling envious for something that someone else has.”

“So…the way you speak of it, you’ll also be jealous of me.”

“When it came to women’s attention, yes, because…I mean, you’re unaware of it, but you’re blessed with all the looks in this family, and…and like Luffy had mentioned before, women like looking at beautiful things, so…I won’t get that attention the way I’d wanted before from women, so…of course I feel a little bitter.”

“You’re this prince the others seem to praise as a higher being than most. Why wouldn’t they look at you?”

“I don’t know, my eyebrows?”

“…They are a little unusual.”

“ _Ugh_ ,” Sanji muttered, walking away. He kicked Luffy and Zoro aside to make room towards the door, and when he encountered the lock, kicked that open. He had three men shouting after him and cries of horror from inside, and Law’s head ached with the resulting noise that seemed to thunder over the quiet ocean waters. He rubbed at his temple, looking away from the mess to venture towards where Jimbei was standing.

Jimbei glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “Are you in agreement with planned actions?”

“No. Do what you want. I’ll do what I need to do.”

“I understand that your actions are for your individual actions only…so I’ll make it my task to keep these ruffians in line.”

Law glanced over the stars reflecting over the dark ocean water. “Of course.”

“It’s not that hard,” Jimbei then said gently, “to accept the hands extended to you.”

Law looked around himself for these hands, Jimbei hastily adding, “I meant metaphorically. All of them agree to help because they consider you a friend.”

“I’m still in search of mine. A killer whale and a penguin. I fear something has happened to them.”

Jimbei looked at him with interest. “You can communicate with animals?”

Law thought about it for a few moments, then his eyes widened. “They can’t hear me. When I turned human, they could not hear me. And their words were lost to me.”

He gripped the railing with his hands, mindful of his strength despite his realization. Jimbei looked at him with worry, then looked away.

“We were able to hear each other miles apart,” Law said low, his features crossing with worry. “And now…they can’t possibly pick out my voice because it resembles human speech. Not ours that we share traditionally.”

“Animals are more intelligent than you think,” Jimbei murmured. “Surely, they heard the ship sink miles away, went to investigate it, and are probably now moving this way. We are the only ship we can see in this area…”

The shouts of the others behind them seemed to explode with force. Both of them winced or cringed as Franky’s booming commands caused all of them to cease.

“I’m sure they’ll find us with that racket,” Jimbei said assuredly, Law reluctantly agreeing to it.

: :

“We should see land by tomorrow night,” Nami said, looking over her maps. “Hopefully, that thing continues to wait – humans we can deal with, but monsters? Not uh. The only monster on this ship are you three!”

She directed her accusation towards Sanji, Zoro and Luffy, all of whom paused in mid-action to look at her. Sanji was holding a tray with drinks and snacks, Zoro drinking heavily from a bottle while Luffy stuffed his mouth with the options before him.

Luffy gave Nami an insulted look while Zoro frowned and Sanji laughed nervously. The four of them were on deck, wearing heavy clothes to combat the chill in the air. Nami held a lamp so that the map was illuminated, looking at the lights nearby with a frustrated frown. She’d insisted that they “go dark” so that the monster couldn’t see them.

“Not all of us are _that_ ugly,” Zoro said flatly, belching.

“I’m not ugly at all. I am a man that takes care and pride in himself,” Sanji said with a haughty tilt of his chin.

Luffy flexed an arm. “When the ladies see _this_ , they see nothing else. Ha ha!”

Nami scowled at them as they chuckled amongst each other, insulting each other’s looks. She was absolutely positive Luffy didn’t care about these things; but the other two did get occasionally sensitive about their appearance. The trio were a disastrous lot – fully responsible for most of their adventures. But no one believed her when she joked about dangerous fishermen and a (former) God-fearing prince causing chaos on the seas.

“I say we release anchor and steam on ahead,” Nami suggested, closing her map clumsily against her chest. “Use this night wind to guide us through the darkness towards land.”

“It’d hear the movement,” Zoro assured her. “But it’s pretty ingenious to suggest that we lure it our way and pretend to be vulnerable. You’re choosing to live dangerously, Nami, I like that.”

“Right?” Luffy cried.

“NO! No, _no_ , no, _no_ _no_!” Nami snarled, hitting them with her map then tucking it inside while the lamp clanged noisily in her grasp. “Just knowing it’s out there, looking for us, leaves me breathless!”

“I can share my breath with you,” Sanji suggested with a grin, leaning her way. She shoved him aside.

“We don’t even know what it is,” Zoro then complained. “All we know was that it was a man when it faced us. Hell, we barely got to see that guy as a fish – trust me, if we weren’t looking, we wouldn’t know he was there, either.”

“I saw the octopus because she was sneaking around,” Luffy said. “So I caught her by pretending to drown and used my bare hands to drag her up onto the beach. They ain’t all that light, let me tell ya!”

“That’s how you did it?” Sanji said in disbelief. “Moving those things through the water was torture! I actually broke my ankle kicking the shark in the face, and it barely affected him.”

“That’s not fair you got to fight one, and I didn’t…”

“Bioluminance.”

The four of them looked over at Law, who was still standing at the back, looking out into the water.

“Bio…what?” Nami asked, the quartet walking over. From the crow’s nest, Brook shielded his eyes with one hand, face shifting with head-tilting curiosity.

“Bioluminance. Deep sea creatures use this to illuminate their surroundings when there is no other light source,” Law said, jaw tensing. Nami looked at him to ask a question, but found herself struck dumb looking up at him. She ended up with a hand spread in front of her to avoid being sucked into amazement just at the sight of his ruffled hair and regal features. Law noticed her movement and wore a puzzled frown as she turned away from him hastily.

Sanji realized he’d already been sucked in and hastily averted his head, relieved that he was not the only one struck mute just at the sight of him.

“I wish my ass was bioluminance,” Luffy said with a laugh. “Like a firebug! _Imagine_! Zoro! Not needing light! You just need my ass!”

“ _No_ ,” Zoro told him impatiently.

“I don’t think that word was used right,” Sanji then said with concern.

“Why bring that up, fishman?” Nami asked curiously. She held her lamp closer to her head, squinting out into the darkness. “All I see out there is water illuminated by the stars and moon. Especially in that section way out there. Where it’s brightest…see? It’s the moon’s light reflecting off the waves…”

“That’s not the moon,” Law said gravely, the three men crowding past him to stand at the railing in an effort to see better. “That’s light generated from a…rather large sea creature. That’s most likely him.”

“It’s…it’s not moving, is it?” Nami asked with worry.

“It is, actually. Very slowly.”

She drew back with a squeal of fright, Luffy looking out skeptically before looking at the man with impatience.

“I can’t even see that far! Are you sure?”

“It’s moving,” Law said with confidence, crossing his arms over his chest as Zoro and Sanji squinted to get a better visual.

“Is it coming _towards_ us?” Nami cried, lowering her lamp and cramming herself against the backs of the three, Zoro complaining as he was smashed against the railing.

“I don’t know what it’s doing,” Law said, furrowing his brow. “Perhaps its spying on us. Waiting. It’s not Ivankov – she didn’t need light to maneuver about. Our makeup keeps us from the deep yet some creatures develop the abilities to thrive in it. That…it’s not a ‘fish’. Considering the light spread, it’s…something a little more sinister.”

“What’s more ‘sinister’ than a shark?” Luffy asked curiously. He then widened his eyes, gasping. “A crab!”

“No, jellyfish,” Zoro said. “Some times you can’t see those suckers until it’s too late.”

“Sea trash,” Sanji said haughtily. “Chemical spills that kill ocean life.”

“B _OOOOR_ ING!”

“Perhaps an unidentified flying water object,” Robin suggested from behind, startling them all to her sudden presence. “Something from the skies that takes refuge in the deep seas.”

“Franky’s new weapon surely can’t take something like that down!” Nami cried, hand to her face.

“We can still blow it up!” Luffy said with confidence. “Just…we need to lure it in. Sanji! This is where you come in!”

“ _No_ ,” Sanji told him impatiently.

Law rolled his eyes, head starting to throb as he looked away. He was crowded out of the area he’d been standing in for most of the day, Nami’s light flickering about as she complained noisily above the noises of the trio pushing each other.

He was suddenly alerted to movement, head turning with apprehension towards the mass of underwater light. While the moon provided sufficient light to allow him to see some distance, it was his own highly tuned instincts that had his head tilting back to look up, recognize what was coming and understand that it was going to impact them harshly.

He placed a hand against Luffy’s back and shoved him hard enough to have him toppling over Sanji and Zoro. Nami quickly jumped back with an annoyed curse, but Robin grabbed her and pulled her roughly, standing alongside Law once she recognized his actions. Sure enough, the sound of something heavy caught their attention, causing all to pause in mid-complaint and movement.

“INCOMING!” Brook shouted with terror, running in panicked circles. “We’re under attack!”

The impact knocked in the back wall nearby, caused floorboards to shatter and screams to ring out. Metal bent and noisily collapsed as the top decks began to surge forward over the mess, glass shattering and furniture, bolted into the floor, began to shift their moving weight, causing wood to pop and crack.

Law looked back with grim accusation towards the light, which was moving steadily their way while the others cautiously investigated the mess.

Sanji looked back at him with trepidation. “It’s Kidd.”

“Let him die,” Law muttered. “I made it easy for him, and he still failed.”

“IT’S A FREAKING _SHARK_ , MAN!” Luffy cried in astonishment, hands to his face.

“It’s a sharkman,” Zoro confirmed tightly.

“IT’S RAINING SHARKS!” Ussop screamed from down below.

“IT’S A MERPERSON SHARK!” Tony cried.

“ _MONSTER_!” Nami shrilled.

“Holy shit, there’s a huge fish down here!” Franky bellowed. “Which one of you jokes pulled him up?”

“He’s missing an arm,” Robin said with rocketing interest lighting up her face. “Something that big had something even bigger eating on him!”

“ _AHHH_!!!”

Law winced, hand to his head as all their combined shouts and screams tickled at his head. He turned to them, snarling, “ _Shut up_ , you morons! Enough with the stupid observations!”

Something snapped upward, Law looking up with alarm. The bioluminant light he’d just spoke of flickered and died away, allowing it to become invisible. But he was positive they were tentacles of various shapes and sizes. They slapped down onto the ship, and by sheer grace of luck, narrowly missed a human. The wet splatter and weight upon the surface caused all of them to react in panic, separating and moving away from the danger.

“You were right,” Law told Zoro as he watched tentacles grip the wood floor and curl around the railing. “It’s a jellyfish.”

“I’ve never seen jellyfish actively use their arms like this. Add to that, this is a monstrous one,” Zoro said, kicking some of the tendrils with his boot. “I don’t think it’s edible, Luffy.”

“MAN THE HARPOONS!” Luffy howled, cupping his mouth with both hands. “ _It’s coming_! And we can’t eat it, so forget about it!”

Sanji stepped over the gripping tentacles and grabbed Law by his shirt to catch his attention. “I’ll go down there and assess that situation – we’re gonna need an ally.”

Before Law could say anything, the tentacles began yanking and pulling at the ship, causing everyone to rock off balance. The anchor left grip on the ground, wood creaking noisily as it threatened to break in its grasp. Sanji used the distraction to hurry away, Law steadying himself against the railing to look out at the incoming mass in the water that began drawing closer to them.

: :

Down in the rotunda area, Sanji pushed through Franky, Tony, Jimbei and Ussop, who was shaking at the knees as the length of the half shark, half man laid back flat against the floor. The smell of this lurking ocean creature immediately filled the room, causing Tony to press a hand against his nose and mouth with an incredulous complaint. Kidd’s striped greenish-brown skin was rippled with red streaks that bubbled dangerously, his murky features groggy. His sharp, multi-row teeth bared for a moment under the lamp light Franky held overhead, eyes dilating sharply into slits. His brilliant red hair was garish against the floor, littered with ghostly pieces of flesh and debris.

The sight of his outrageously defined muscles caused Franky to look down at himself with an expression of dismay, Jimbei looking at him from the corner of his eye. Kidd’s nose wiggled, gills clenching as he came to, Sanji cautiously stepping around large pieces of debris to stand in his vision.

“I don’t know if you can understand me,” Sanji said, crouching at his side, “but do we need to get you to water? Or should I cut you up for snacks?”

“I’m dying, and you’re asking stupid questions,” Kidd muttered, voice thick and vibrating with drowsiness as he blinked his eyes repeatedly. The sheer volume of his voice caused the others some distress, rattled by how strong and piercing it was. Sanji supposed it was loud enough to penetrate the weight of the sea – mildly wondering if he’d even registered that fact when he met them.

“Is it trying to _talk_?” Franky asked incredulously. “Is that what those noises are?”

Kidd managed to flip himself onto his side, long, scarred tail slapping against the floor and causing the others to jump out of the way. His massive size dwarfed the group, the tip scraping against the intact walls and causing paintings to fall. “How are you able to still talk to me, you scumbag?”

“The schematics of the situation are still puzzling to me as well,” Sanji assured him. “How are you still alive? Your ugly face demands that people kill you.”

“You’re even disrespectful towards creatures that can easily kill you,” Jimbei commented, slanted eyes widened with disbelief.

At the sound of his voice, Kidd became aware of others standing in the shadows, Franky’s light illuminating the group of them. He used his scarred arm to steady himself, hissing as he bared his teeth. His gills seemed to reopen in ragged fans, muscles swelling; making himself bigger than he already was. Tony shrieked and ducked behind Ussop, who skirted around Jimbei with a wild cry. With violent movement, Kidd bent and clawed his way towards them, the group hastily scattering out of his reach. Sanji stood and kicked the scarred sharkman’s side, drawing Kidd’s attention his way.

Despite his own feeling of safety, Sanji did feel discomfited being pinned by those glowing, slitted eyes, and being treated to multi-rows of sharp teeth. Kidd pulled himself towards him, the smell of his breath causing Sanji to draw his head back with a cringe.

“You stink! Chew some mint!” Sanji snapped at him, one foot moving up and around to catch the sharkman’s head and twisting him away with a forceful blow. This caused Kidd to swell even bigger, looming over him with threatening action as he managed to use his tail to steady himself, single hand slamming down onto the wall above Sanji’s head.

Furious, Kidd hissed once more, eyes widening with rising anger.

“We’re about to battle the thing that tossed you like a minnow, but we’re going to need your help,” Sanji said calmly, craning his head to look up at him. He pulled his cigarettes out from his inside jacket pocket and lit one, blowing smoke deliberately at the sharkman’s chest. Kidd pulled away from him with a snarl, then froze once he realized he couldn’t breathe. “Do you need medical care?”

“ _Like I’d ask for assistance from humans_! Scum! I’ll release myself from this damn boat,” Kidd snarled, hand curling into a pulling movement.

“Those wounds look infected,” Sanji said, seeing some of the scabbing and angry indentures and bubbling across striped skin. It looked like something had taken hundreds of bites out of him in small chomps, all in singular lines. Something that made his own skin crawl. He noticed that the old, faded scars of the sharkman’s skin aligned with these fresh, new wounds. It was easy to put two and two together.

 _That thing took his companion, his arm, and thus, his hate_ , he thought. _I’ll have to get answers from him when we’re done with this_. “Are you capable of doing anything helpful?”

“I’ve survived worse. It took my arm, but it didn’t take my spirit,” Kidd growled, and Sanji had to admit he was impressed by his sheer, stubborn will. “As long as I’m alive, I’m not dead!”

“You’re such a moron,” Sanji said with exasperation, his admiration quickly fading away. “That’s something Luffy would say.”

Metal started to creak ominously around Sanji, the blond looking around himself with trepidation before the sharkman suddenly disappeared. He blinked, sputtering around his cigarette as he realized how much space was left behind with Kidd’s disappearance. He looked up as the others cautiously ventured out from their hiding places, incredulous to what they had seen.

“That’s how big Law was?” Jimbei asked Sanji cautiously.

“Just a little smaller than that, but, yes.”

Jimbei stared at him suspiciously, which made Sanji incredibly nervous. He then turned and hollered at Ussop, “Get up on deck and start shooting! What are you doing, hiding away down here for?”

“DON’T YELL AT ME, I’M _SENSITIVE_!” Ussop screamed back, hurrying towards the stairway nearby. Tony, after one last look at Sanji, hurried after him, Franky calling out for both of them to put on their coats.

Jimbei stopped Sanji with one hand to his shoulder, lowering head and shoulders to look him in the face. “You,” he said quietly, “are quite mad.”

“But aren’t we all?” Sanji asked, quickly skirting away from the man and running after the others while Jimbei stared at the wall, wearing a very confused expression.

“C’mon,” Franky told him. “Let’s load up on those explosives.”

Jimbei turned to look at him with worry, fingers tapping together. “Couldn’t you handle that yourself? I’m a little nervous around things that can blow up in your hands.”

“Ha ha! That’s what she said, too!”

“Who…who said that? Robin?”

Franky laughed noisily, leading the way.

: :

Doflamingo revealed himself as half man, half Lion’s Mane Jellyfish – his hood surrounded him like a small hill, glowing brilliantly with bioluminance that showed off his multiple tentacles and oral arms, his man form only visible as the hood shifted when he pulled himself out of the water. In that movement, it was obvious that he naturally remained dangling from the center of his bell, surrounded by his massive collection of tentacles. His bulk had to shift upward and outward just to allow himself to do so. His very presence dominated the Tangerine Dream’s length, his voice booming out as he chuckled. His man-half was shimmering with the transparency of a jellyfish, allowing the onlookers to look into his visible bones and inner organs – of which were currently in mangled disarray. The facial structure took on a stark appearance of glowing veins, his eye orbits showcasing moving eyeballs that shifted from side to side, human teeth clenched in a grin as transparent blue-pink skin stretched to showcase a smile of mean appraisal. As his upper torso was revealed, the muscles on display were much too defined and bulging to compare him to a normal human. But the tentacles that collapsed from his jellyfish body moved independently around him – slithering outward to the Tangerine Dream, reaching for the stars, and caressing the dark waters.

Nami shrilled with panicked shrieking, running off to safety as Robin looked up at him with sheer awe, her mouth open and her blue eyes half the size of dinner plates. Luffy’s face openly displayed his admiration, but he suddenly clamped both hands against his mouth, Zoro mimicking the action moments later. They tried not to look at each other, but their expressions were clearly shifting to hysterics.

Law didn’t notice this, focused grimly on the creature that threatened to overwhelm them. It had stopped pulling the Tangerine Dream towards him, but its floating tentacles were now resting in various areas around it, like gelatinous mass. The oral arms were thicker and more complex than the tentacles, actively clamping around the ship and venturing onto the deck like moving snakes in search of prey.

He heard voices from the others in the background, but he remained focused on the creature instead.

Luffy’s elbow dug into Law’s side startling him with its strength and pinpoint accuracy between his ribs. Leaning over, Luffy snickered, “Doesn’t he look like a massive, erect dong?”

Law gave him a puzzled look, Luffy waving at him impatiently with an expression of disgust while Zoro laughed.

 _So_ , Law thought venomously, looking up at the chuckling jellyfish-man. _That’s why only half of Cora fell to the sea. This thing was responsible for ripping him apart. To think, he’d carry the ruins of his only sibling with him until he digested him. Despicable._

“I know exactly what you’re thinking,” Doflamingo told him, his voice rumbling in the night, clearly audible over the shouts and screams of those people running around on deck. “And you’re absolutely right. He held back on everything I was waiting for, and deliberately took away my only hope. He truly needed to suffer.”

“I’ll return the favor,” Law responded tightly. After observing the tentacles that lifted and darted around the mound of mass around Doflamingo, he realized with stark horror why his colony had fallen. The venom from those things could render large creatures into inescapable illness. It wasn’t spears or harpoons of men that had killed his family – it was _this_ hateful thing. The depths of their rocky homes had obscured Law’s vision of the surface; he had heard men laughing, but it could have only been this singular person, too.

Memories stamped back together to present a clearer picture of what trauma had done to ruin his images of that fateful day. _It all made sense_. He’d escaped using his abilities to teleport to a safe distance, urged by his father to do so; he hadn’t seen the dangerous creature using the dark, cold waters to eliminate the colony. Corazon had stealthily avoided the stinging tentacles to search for Law, and had found him a distance away – using that available space to escape with him.

Whatever had changed Rosinante’s mind that day had changed the course of Law’s life; trauma had shaped his memories into vague pictures.

 _Not a spell_ , he thought, caught up in confusing images and emotions that were confused and yet tinged with angry energy. _Shock_.

“Let’s see you try,” Doflamingo told him, grinning transparent lips over gritted teeth.


End file.
